AHS Book Review
We have so many readers at AHS! Why not share your favorite titles with the AHS community.
Email a book review to the Media Center staff. We will continue to update this page with recommendations from our very own Faculty, Staff, and Students. Then, be sure to check back often to see the latest book reviews.
AHS Faculty and Staff Recommend...
Title: The first part last (reviewed by Karen Falkenstine - Media Center Specialist)
Author: Angela Johnson
Synopsis: Bobby, 16 years old, loves hanging out with his friends and painting. However, he becomes a young dad and struggles with the decision of keeping the baby or giving it up for adoption.
Personal Reaction: I finished reading this book within 24 hours. Johnson does an excellent job of portraying realistic characters while foreshadowing events that happen at the end of the story. I was anxious to find out how Robby ended up keeping Feather. Also, I had a feeling that something happened to Nia in childbirth since she was only mentioned in Robby’s past experiences. Overall, I felt that I had known the characters for years since I could read about the past and present experiences of Robby along with his family and friends.
Title: The Unschooled Wizard (reviewed by Lisa Brown - Webmaster)
Author: Barbara Hambly
Synopsis: This is actually a collection of two fantasy novels - The Ladies of Mandrigyn and The Witches of Wenshar - that follow the adventures of mercenary captain Sun Wolf and his second-in-command, Star Hawk.
Personal Reaction: If you enjoy fantasy series, this is a must-read. It has a very different feel than any fantasy novel I've ever read, with a strong mystery element in both books. In addition to having great hack-n-slash, magic-meddling fantasy content, it also sneaks in intriguing insights about relationships and behavior. Plus, it's the only book that has ever successfully surprised me (and I am not an easy person to surprise!)
AHS Students Recommend...
Title: Flower Children (reviewed by Heather S.)
Author: Maxine Swann
Synopsis: Flower Children, by Maxine Swann, illustrates the lives of four children living with two hippie parents. The children’s parents are firm believers of freedom and give the children no restrictions or limits. They hold nothing back from their kids and talk about things out of the ordinary in front of them. Growing up, the children don’t see much of a problem with this lifestyle. They think it’s normal for their parents to have boyfriends and girlfriends and to swim naked in the lake. However, they realized how deprived of childhood they really are. When adults, they want to forget some of the things they did as a child because they want so much to be individuals. Nevertheless, when they come home, they remember themselves and they get to relive their childhood all over again with each other.
Personal Reaction: This book was a challenge when coming up with a plot. The novel switches from first to third person every other chapter. The children, all two years apart, have only each other, and sometimes, are more mature than their parents. I didn’t find the plot until the ending. It was a little frustrating because I didn’t know if the book was going to go anywhere. Flower Children made me think of my own childhood. I realized I sometimes forget I’m not an adult, and I better stop trying to push myself into adulthood. I don’t want to regret or question my childhood when I get older. It’s a shame that the four in this book didn’t have the same opportunity.
Title: A Walk to Remember (reviewed by Katie Z.)
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Synopsis: A Walk to Remember is one of Nicholas Sparks’ best-selling books that tells a story of young love through the eyes of Landon Carter. Landon is a seventeen year old guy living in 1950’s Beaufort, North Carolina. Though the time is different, the theme is universal, love. He begins doing the play at school and through that, he gets to know Jamie Sullivan, the Reverend’s daughter. At first Landon doesn’t want anything to do with her, but slowly he realizes that he and Jamie aren’t all that different.
Personal Reaction: This is also a movie, but trust me, the book is so much better. There is more detail and you can see how their relationship evolves, and their challenges. It took me a while to understand the title of the book, but the title comes from Landon walking Jamie home. Those were his walks to remember. This in an inspiring book and it displays the beauty of forgiveness and faith. Nicholas Sparks’ is a great writer whose forte is romance. He tells the story as a teenager would think and speak, and he has a great way of twisting the story’s plot. I can’t really think of any weaknesses, I love Nicholas Sparks.
Title:The Perks of Being a Wallflower (reviewed by Sarah R.)
Author: Stephen Chbosky
Synopsis: A Stephen Chbosky novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, is an incredible story of an untouched teen who is looking for the right cure. We take a journey inside the adolescent life of Charlie, walking with him each step of the way. He exposes himself through letters written to an unknown recipient. All we know is the story he tells. Charlie stands on the outside of life, being a wallflower, making observations, but not existing in it. He is surrounded by people who encourage him to start living. During the struggle between living life and trying to hide, Charlie learns with the help of his friends and his English teacher more about life, dealing with love, breakups, drugs, and sexuality but most importantly being someone. Chbosky’s story gives us a chance to look into our own lives and realize how we are living them. He has created a masterpiece in which he portrays the fight against taking the easy approach or choosing the bumpy road to a more fulfilling life.
Personal Reaction: If you like coming of age novels this is a must read! The life of Charlie is so exciting, which made me not want to put it down. One of the major strengths is how Chbosky wrote this as a diary. It felt like Charlie was writing to me, and I had a personal connection with him. Another strength the novel had was that as a high school student I was able to relate to a multiple amount of the things Charlie told me about, and took part in. I felt like he was one of my friends. I wish the novel could have been longer, so the story would have gone on. But that is just because I liked the book so much!
Title:The Memory Keeper’s Daughter (reviewed by Alyssa B. )
Author: Kim Edwards
Synopsis: The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards is an emotionally draining story that puts our lives in perspective. The book begins with a husband delivering twins to his wife. The first child, is a healthy boy named Paul and the second, a girl named Phoebe has Down Syndrome. David, the husband, decides to send his baby girl away to a home for children with the disease without consulting his wife. Instead of following his wishes, his nurse takes the baby and moves away to raise it on her own. Many years later tragedy strikes the couple and the secret is revealed. Who is woman to trust, the man she loves or her own intuition? One little white lie can radically change relationships, just remember the truth shall always set you free.
Personal Reaction: Personally, I loved the way the book made the characters so life-like. I felt as if I was in David’s head helping him decide to put his daughter in a home, or when Norah mourned the “death” of Phoebe. I believed that I shared their pain and anguish; their pain was my pain, their satisfaction was my satisfaction. Kim did an exceptional job of drawing our thoughts and feelings into the story, and she mesmerized us within the first page and that feeling continued long after the last. The strength of this book was its ability to keep the reader’s interest without seeming redundant. It had a wonderful plot and the story line was easy to follow. All and all this book was “hard to put down.” The weakness of this book was that it was a tad predictable at times. At certain points throughout the story I knew what was coming next but I didn’t expect the ending. But in the end the pros outweigh the cons and I give it “Two Thumbs Up.”
Title:The Truth about Forever (reviewed by Sarah L.)
Author: Sarah Dessen
Synopsis: In the summer romance, The Truth About Forever, by Sarah Dessen, the main character Macy, struggles to enjoy her life with the people she loves. After the death of her father, she loses her passion for running, a previous hobby that she shared with him. She strives to make her life as perfect as it can possibly be, just to please her mother. She takes on a new job at a catering company that changes her life. Not only does this job demonstrate that she doesn’t have to be perfect in every aspect of her life, but she also meets a boy named Wes who teaches her to be herself and not care what others think.
Personal Reaction: I really loved this book because Macy overcame her struggles and became a stronger person. This book shows that just one person can change your life. The strengths of this novel are that it keeps you wanting to read and find out what comes next. The only weakness, in my opinion, was that the ending was pretty predictable. Overall, I would recommend this book because it illustrates life lessons. The Truth About Forever helped me realize that no one is perfect and that you can’t take someone for granted in your life, because they could be gone in the blink of an eye.
Title:My Sister’s Keeper (reviewed by Melanie B.)
Author: Jodi Picoult
Synopsis: The plot of this novel revolves around Anna, a thirteen year old girl who is suing her parents for medical emancipation; control over her body. This may seem like a ridiculous request, but Anna was genetically designed to be a donor match to her older sister, Kate, who suffers from leukemia. Since Anna is a minor, her parents sign all of her consent forms without consulting her first. Every time Kate is in the hospital, Anna winds up there too. Her decision to take legal action breaks her already fragile family and may be fatal to Kate, who needs one of Anna’s kidneys to survive. This gripping novel not only calls into question morals, but analyzes Anna’s search for herself and her love for her family.
Personal Reaction: I would recommend this book to any teenage girl because of its powerful subject. This novel kept me guessing what was going to happen next. A main strength of this novel is that it is written from multiple view points. Sometimes the speaker is shaded by opinion or does not think clearly, but it is up to the reader to decide if she agrees with that character. Flashbacks to times in the novel close to when Kate was first diagnosed and Anna was born add a more complete background to the novel and help the reader better understand what the family is going through. One weakness of the novel is that the reality that this could actually happen is limited because Anna acts much older than thirteen. Also, genetics is a much contested subject today, which is not a question to Anna’s parents about creating her to be a perfect match with Kate. I definitely enjoyed this book and hope that others with get as much out of it as I did.
Title: Just Listen (reviewed by Kelsey S. )
Author: Sarah Dessen
Synopsis: Annabel Greene is your typical high school student. She goes to parties, hangs out with her friends, and oh yeah is a model for a local agency. Her life seems to be going fine, until her best friend accuses her of hooking up with her boyfriend one night at a party. Then she finds out that her sister has an eating disorder. So now she’s stuck at a high school where her ex-best friend basically harasses her on a daily basis and has to deal with her sister’s eating disorder. Then one day she meets someone who challenges her to go outside her comfort zone and tells her “don’t think or judge. Just listen.” Did I mention that this guy was arrested for beating up a student and had to go to anger management to help him deal with his anger problems? So Annabel Greene has befriended the most feared person in her school and gets a rumor flying about what is really going on. But her past keeps coming back to haunt her and what happened that summer night just won’t go away. Then she finds out that she’s not the only one this has happened to and has to make one of the hardest decisions of her life: run or talk.
Personal Reaction: I thought this novel what one of the best I’ve ever read. I felt like I could relate to her in some ways which made the novel that much easier to read. She has problems with her family and also internal problems that she needs to work out. The only problem I had with this novel was that sometimes I wasn’t sure if I was reading one of her flashbacks or if it was currently happening to her, and sometimes it got a little confusing. Other than that this novel was awesome and a must read.
Title: No Second Chance (reviewed by Samantha C. )
Author: Harlan Coben
Synopsis: This mystery/thriller is about Marc Seidman, the main character, and his quest to find his missing girl. After being shot and legally dead for a while, he doesn’t have any boundaries to find his six month year old daughter. Even thought the police think that he killed his wife and was part of the million dollar ransoms that came after he gets out of the hospitable, he finds ways around the law to try and get back his daughter, Tara.
Personal Reaction: I really liked the novel because you could never guess who actually killed his wife, shot him, and kidnapped his daughter. I also liked how the author made certain clues just hang over my head, because I knew that all answers would be answered in the end so it made me not want to put down the book. Also, as Marc dug further into the mystery, new people came about to give new suspects. Then once you thought you knew who did the crime, they ended up being killed. The last ten or so chapters just hook you in because there are so many people who could have done the crime, so you just want to finish the book so you can know who did it.
Strengths of this novel include how the author gives so much detail; you really understand what’s going on. He also lets the reader see everyone in many different ways so you can truly get to know the characters. I don’t think that there are many weaknesses to his novel; but when he starts bringing in new characters a few at a time, it can get a little confusing. But once you get past the confusing, this can also be a strength because if there weren’t so many characters, the ending wouldn’t be such a big surprise. If you like mysteries and you think you can figure them all out, this would be a good book for you because it will stump you.
Title: The Guardian (reviewed by Erin R.)
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Synopsis: Have you ever been in a sticky situation between two men? Well, Julie Barenson, in the novel The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks, is split between two men. Julie, a 29-year-old woman who lives in a small town in North Carolina, is in the middle of Mike and Richard. Mike, her deceased husband’s brother, is very understanding and caring. Richard is a businessman who gives women whatever they want, with a suspicious and creepy twist to it. Throughout the novel, the reader will find out that something mysterious between Richard and Julie goes on. He begins to stalk her and it all goes down hill from there. While Richard is off in his own world, Mike is always at Julie’s side protecting her. Julie also has a sweet Great Dane dog, given by her former husband, named Singer guarding her as well. When the reader explores this book, they will find out what really happens between Julie and the two men, with a shocking and chilling result.
Personal Reaction: In the meantime, while reading this novel, the audience will discover that the chapters are split up into many sections. The sections make the book very choppy and make it seem long. On the flip side, the author does a great job of depicting what each character thinks, says, or does. The reader knows what each character supports and how they react differently to situations. Personally, I really enjoyed this novel because it kept me on the edge of my sit wondering what was going to happen next with mystery and sweet romance added. I would give this book: 5 out of 5 stars.
Title: The Right Chord (reviewed by Katherine B.)
Author: Elisabeth Rose
Synopsis: The Right Chord by Elisabeth Rose is a romance fiction novel based in Australia. Grace is an accomplished violinist who isn’t having any luck in her love life. She tries to be more forceful and interesting in her relationships, but it backfires. Harry Birmingham moves next door to Grace and finds her to be aggressive and too much like his ex-wife. He has feelings for the old Grace, but wants to distance himself from the new one. Through their differences, fate brings them together when they inadvertently begin to grow closer.
Personal Reaction: One of the strengths of this novel includes the plot’s ability to capture the reader until the end. I liked the fact that the novel was paced well and it was easy for me to pick up where I left off and not have to re-read. Although the reader might be able to guess the ending, it’s not a novel that will have you throwing the book at the wall out of frustration when you find out!
One weakness was that I found the plot to be very simple. I wish Elisabeth Rose would have made it more interesting with some intriguing obstacle for Grace to face. Another weakness is that imagery is really missing. The reader never really gets a sense of what the characters look like or their neighborhood setting.
After finishing this book, I really had to think about how I felt about it. Do I love it? Or is it the worst book I’ve ever read? It’s neither really, but I would say that I liked The Right Chord. There really wasn’t anything unique when it all came down to comparing it to other romance novels I will say though that The Right Chord is a good book for young people who are looking for a romance to read.
Title:Dreamland (reviewed by Sarah R.)
Author: Sarah Dessen
Synopsis: Cass was the prime definition of a perfect daughter. She was an athletic, straight A student who was accepted to Yale for college. Her younger sister Caitlin was living a life overshadowed by that of her sister. No matter what Caitlin did, it was never as important or as great as what Cass did when she was Caitlin’s age. Sarah Dessen’s book “Dreamland,” begins on Caitlin’s 16 th birthday when her older sister runs away. The pressure’s of Cass’s life become too great and she runs off to be with her boyfriend. Caitlin finally has the opportunity to be free of Cass’s influence. She joins the cheerleading squad and meets a boy, Rogerson. When Caitlin first meets Rogerson, she falls head over heels for him and they spend every spare moment together. Rogerson makes Caitlin feel meaningful as a person; one that’s unique and her own, not following the path laid by someone else. The something starts happening to Caitlin that really sets her apart from her older sister. Being with Rogerson becomes much harder on Caitlin than being without him. The roles in their relationship become more clear cut as Rogerson goes from being a caring, kind boyfriend to a frightening, overpowering master. Through all of the pain and struggle, Caitlin can’t seem to find it in herself to want to leave Rogerson.
Personal Reaction: This novel had many strengths and weaknesses. I really like this novel because the descriptions and setting fit the plot of the story very well. A small, gossiping town is the perfect setting for a girl hiding many secrets. I also like how the main character comes from a solid home. It puts this problem into perspective as many of us think it could only happen to trashy, drop out girls. This novel also has some weaknesses. The plot at times seems scattered as it goes from Cait, to Cass, to Rogerson without much transition.
Title:The Pact (reviewed by Rebecca B.)
Author: Jodi Picoult
Synopsis: The Pact is an intriguing novel about a teenage romance between a young girl and boy who grew up together, who were undividable. Their families, the Golds and the Hartes, lived next door to each other since Chris and Emily had been born, were life long friends. They never thought, however, that Emily would soon die by being shot from a suicide attempt she planned to take on with Chris. Had they ever really known their own children, or was suicide really the case?
Personal Reaction: This coming of age novel explores romance, suspense, and desolation. It questions relationships, and uses past experiences to determine the outcome of the book. You will not be able to put this book down, in the beginning or in the end. Jodi Picoult uses a unique style of writing. She uses flashbacks, and writes in a way that goes back in time one chapter, and the next focuses in on the present, leaving you bits and pieces of secrets leading up to the point of truth. This novel illustrates loneliness, bravery, and trust. However, it may leave you heart broken or possibly upset. You would definitely be missing out if you chose not to read this enthralling novel.
Title: Floating in My Mother’s Palm(reviewed by Jill W.)
Author: Ursula Hegi
Synopsis: Hanna takes us on a journey through her town to explore and learn about the others who hide their secrets. From her housekeeper Frau Brocker, who bore an illegitimate child and Trudi Montag, the town dwarf who many avoid, Hanna discovers the scars left on people’s lives. Surrounded her radical mother who swims in lighting and her calm father, Hanna’s life seems perfect. It doesn’t take long, however, to realize that other people’s pain sometimes becomes hers too. Even with many stories told and confusing names thrown at the audience, this story will leave everyone in awe, as they learn of the struggles even people face now in their daily lives.
Personal Reaction: Like a love scene in a movie, Floating in My Mother’s Palm, by Ursula Hegi, captures the reader’s attention with complete ease. This excellent story will keep anyone coming back for more while it engages us with stories about escaped criminals, suicide, and town gossip. As the audience reads about Hanna Malter, a twelve year old girl living in Burgdorf, Germany in the 1950’s, it is hard not to relate to this young girl who learns that despite what is displayed on the outside, everyone has a secret inside.
Title:Flowers for Algernon (reviewed by Madeline M.)
Author: Daniel Keyes
Synopsis: This book, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, gives you an inside look on the life of a mentally retarded person. This person is Charlie Gordon. Abused as a child and made fun of as an adult, this disabled individual, Charlie is determined to change his life for the better. He soon finds out he can. When a new surgery to increase the intelligence of Algernon, a fluffy white mouse succeeds, scientist can’t wait to try it on humans. Charlie is their first patient. Told by a series of progress reports written by Charlie, this book guides you through his struggles to becoming not only an intelligent member of society, but a genius. However, after a short period of time Algernon dies a sudden death. After Charlie puts flowers on Algernon’s grave in his backyard he wonders if the same thing will soon happen to him.
Personal Reaction: This novel was more than entertaining. It was packed with life lessons. It shows you that everyone deserves love and attention, no matter what their IQ. Although it is a little unclear when talking about why Algernon dies and how Charlie figures it out, the ongoing messages and themes through out the book are definitely a strength and very valuable. More Flowers for Algernon, please!
Title:Second Chance (reviewed by Deanna T.)
Author: Jodi Picoult
Synopsis: Second Glance, by Jodi Picoult is a ghost story, a forbidden romance, and a horrific murder mystery rolled all into one. In this novel the disheartened main character Ross Wakeman finds himself to be invincible when he wants nothing more than to leave this world of the living. Feeling at fault for the death of his fiancé, Aimee, Ross seeks to connect with her in the spirit world. He soon finds himself caught up in a conflict with the Abenaki Indians and a developer eager to transform their burial grounds into a strip mall. In the course of his job searching for whatever haunts the burial grounds he comes to see that you don’t always discover what you were looking for when he stumbles across the mystifying Lia who finally gives him something to live for since the first time he met Aimee. But what Ross uncovers will not only turn his world around, but also the lives of everyone living in Comtosook, Vermont.
Personal Reaction: Marvelously written, and tearing at the heart strings this novel shows that to Picoult the limits on creativity are slim and none. Although keeping the many characters in this book straight and grasping the little facts about Eugenics it throws at you can be a challenge the overall outcome of the book is quite satisfying. With a plot that keeps you hanging on the edge with twists at every corner fall in love with the writing style of Jodi Picoult in Second Glance.
Title:She’s Come Undone (reviewed by Emily E.)
Author: Wally Lamb
Synopsis: She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb tells the story of the life of Dolores Price from ages four to thirty five. When Dolores is thirteen she is raped by a tenant in her grandmother’s house. As she grows up she must begin to cope with that experience in addition to the normal trials associated with growing up. By the time she reaches high school Dolores weighs two hundred and fifty pounds and she is an outcast. In college she develops a major crush on her roommate’s boyfriend and finally finds a friend. During dance at college she feels violated by a boy and relives the rape and has a breakdown. Dolores’ story is full of twists and turns as she tries to make her way through life, with an ending even she didn’t see coming.
Personal Reaction: This book was really good! It’s amazing how a male author, Wally Lamb, writes the story from the perspective of a young girl so well. His writing style is very engaging as well. When Dolores is sad the reader becomes sad themselves. The story flows surprisingly well across three decades. Once thing I don’t like about the book is its length; while it is very detailed which helps the readers visualize the story, it is easy to lose motivation with a book this long. Overall the good outweighs the bad and I would defiantly recommend She’s Come Undone to anyone I meet.
Title:Crank (reviewed by Meredith R.)
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Synopsis: Most girls around the age of sixteen and seventeen start to experience new things. Getting their license, being able to stay out later, or getting a boyfriend are all examples of this. But not for Kristina Snow. She experiences something totally unlike anything else. She meets someone who will change her life, forever. She meets the monster in Crank by Ellen Hopkins.
Kristina has perfect grades, has never broken curfew, and hangs out with the right people. She just has it all together. But having divorced parents can be hard, even for her. That’s why when Kristina goes to visit her father, her life gets much harder. She knew he had problems, isn’t that’s why her parents got a divorce? But not knowing the complexity of those issues can get a girl into trouble.
Her dad works in a bowling alley. Exciting? Not really. The parties he holds in the back crazy? More like mind blowing. Her dad invites her in one night and lets her shake hands with it. The white fluff of powder, the razorblade ready, and the lines already made. One sniff. Crank. And Bree emerges. Bree doesn’t understand the point of grades, has never cared for the word curfew, and only hangs out with one person. One guess who.
Now Kristina not only has her grades, family life away from her dad, and a boyfriend who is farther than three hours away, but now she has to struggle with staying devoted to the monster. One sniff changed her week, her year, and her life.
Personal Reaction: I like this book because it is more than just a story of a girl who struggles through things that most of us can’t even imagine, but for the mere fact that it’s real. Things like this actually happen in our world although not told through a book. I like this book because it is written in prose and the only other books I have read that are in prose are either other Ellen Hopkins books or Shakespeare. So it’s nice to have something totally different to the read then the standard book. Some strengths of the book were that she did write it in prose. The book was 537 pages long so if she wouldn’t have written in prose, it could have been over 1,000 pages, which could have lost the reader. Since it was an easy read and just flowed so beautifully, it was much easier to follow and comprehend.
I would have to say the only weakness is the beginning. The way she began it was so confusing because of her word choice and her introduction of who Kristina is was too hard to follow. This is well represented in the line “what chance meeting of brush and canvas painted the face you? What made me despise the girl enough to transform her, turn her into a stranger, only not.” (2) I think this is confusing just because it’s a run-on sentence. And the way she used line breaks within that sentence was too hard to keep up with. Overall this book was amazing. I cried during this book and stayed up into the wee hours of the night just so I could just keep reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Title:Where are the Children (reviewed by Lindsay R.)
Author: Mary Higgins Clark
Synopsis: Nancy was a gorgeous housewife with two healthy children and a seemingly supportive husband named Carl. Her life was thought to be perfect, and before the night of her children’s death, it supposedly was. When Nancy’s children were found washed up on the banks of a river, all fingers pointed to her. Though denying the accusations, Nancy was not able to perform in court. Her life was crumbling, and no one believed her plea of innocence. Running away was the only thing she knew to do.
After fleeing to Cape Cod, Nancy attempted to put her dreadful past behind her, and start fresh. Before long she met a man named Ray, and he asked her hand in marriage, knowing all about Nancy’s past. Nancy and Ray had two beautiful children, and Nancy resumed the role as a housewife and caretaker. Nancy’s past followed her closer than a shadow, but she knew that forgetting would be impossible.
One morning, Nancy let her children go out to play. Her paranoia about losing the children was always present, but she ignored the nagging voice in her head. After some time, she went to check on the children. With no sign of them, she frantically searched the yard. They were gone. With great panic and fear, Nancy knew that her old nightmare was about to be relived. Confused and disoriented, all she could think was; where are the children?
Personal Reaction: Where are the Children? By Mary Higgins Clark, is filled with chilling suspense that forms goose bumps up and down your legs. With unexpected twists and mind numbing fear, this book is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Its strong plot and vivid details will keep any reader glued to each page. I enjoyed this book so much, that I wished it could have been longer, and added more background. I loved this suspense novel because it was very plausible and interesting. The characters were very emotional, and realistic. I was especially intrigued by how the novel presented the ideal situation, and turned it into a real life nightmare.
Title: The Truth Aabout Forever (reviewed by Courtney M.)
Author: Sarah Dessen
Synopsis: In The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen, life for Macy Queen was dull and monotonous. After the death of her father, she felt as if she had to lead a perfect life, with the perfect boyfriend, and perfect grades. She never did anything her sister would say was what a teenager was "suppose to do," until she decided to drop all her inhibitions and have a life of her own. Making the decision to work for Delia at a disorganized catering company was the first step to this new life. Macy never expected to fall in love with the people she worked with or the fact that she would encounter so many obstacles and events that would forever change her.
Personal Reaction: From the moment I read the first page till the last word I was in love with this book. Once you start reading it you won't want to put it down. Sarah Dessen did a fabulous job portraying the grieving process as she allows you to understand and feel what the characters are going through. The plot she developed was real and true to life. I would suggest this book to any young adult.
Sarah Dessen has many strong points as a writer. She really knows how much information to give away without giving the story up or losing the audience’s attention. The ending was fantastic because she wrapped it up well and it would be something you could look back on and remember. The character development was brilliant as well. As a reader I could really connect to the characters and understand what they were feeling. She is an accomplished writer because she can provoke a response from the audience whether it is good or bad. But with all great writing comes pitfalls. For instance, at the end of the book, Dessen doesn’t leave you asking questions or begging for more. You just simply enjoyed the book. About halfway into the book I was able to make an accurate prediction about the ending. It was also frustrating at times because there wasn’t a lot of variety in the situations that played out in the book. The characters were always doing the same things and interacting with the same people. Overall, though, I still highly recommend reading this book. It will make you think twice about the importance of being who you want to be and not letting anyone make that decision for you.
Title:Crank (reviewed by Liz C.)
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Synopsis: Ellen Hopkins, in her Verse-written novel, CRANK, successfully captures the life of a teen on Crank. In her epic novel, Kristina, a once grade A student, with a clean reputation, takes a turn for the worst. On a court ordered visit to her absent father, she instantly falls for a boy named Adam, who introduces her to her new addiction. Her new addiction brings out an alter-ego, as some may call it, named Bree. With Struggling with her family and her new addiction, Kristina finds herself loosing sight of Kristina and becoming Bree. Kristina finds herself selling drugs and eventually, pregnant, and struggles even more with Crank (the monster).
Personal Reaction:Although CRANK is a magnificent and capturing novel, it’s not for the kids. Hopkins shows the difficulties of the life of teens and the pressures. Hopkins does a spectacular job of putting the reader in Kristina’s shoes. She shows how the addiction of Crank feels and makes a person act. She shows the toll it takes on the lives of the person and those close to them. Hopkins reveals both the evils and the goodness of teenage love and relationships. Her enhancing novel leaves the reader begging for more. Ellen Hopkins is a magnificent novelist; Crank is definitely going to be one of her best novels.
Title:Stranger with My Face (reviewed by Megan T.)
Author: Lois Duncan
Synopsis: In the book, Stranger with My Face by Lois Duncan, the main character overcomes many obstacles to get to her destination point, which is the restoration of normalcy and happiness in her life. Laurie Stratton is just living her New England life very smoothly until one day, she realizes that everything in her life is being yanked out from under her. Her friends are not her friends anymore, people are claiming to see her in places where she isn’t, and she acquires a weird feeling that someone is watching her. She soon comes to find out that she was adopted and does indeed have a twin. Her twin had been using a method called astral projection to project herself, onto the island, even though in actuality, she was a good 3,000 miles away on her deathbed. Lia has been going around the island trying to mess up Laurie’s life as much as possible so that the only person Laurie would have left, would be her own blood, her twin sister. With the help of her friends, family, and boyfriend, though, Laurie overcomes many obstacles to defeat her evil twin and regain happiness in her life.
Personal Reaction: I found this novel to be very intriguing and hard to put down. There were so many twists of events and mind-boggling activities that occurred in this novel that made it very hard for me to put this book down. This, I believe, is one of the strengths of this book; It was very captivating to its audience. This novel connects with so many things that teenagers, today, go through. For instance, losing a best friend like Laurie lost Helen, or getting dumped by your boyfriend who likes another girl, like Gordon and Lilly. The author really came close to the hearts of teens that encounter the same experiences in their lives, which makes this book irresistible to set down. I thought the author did a magnificent job throughout the entire story and didn’t portray any weaknesses in this novel.
Title:The Five People you Meet in Heaven (reviewed by Elizabeth W.)
Author: Mitch Albom
Synopsis: Have you ever imagined who you would meet in heaven or what lessons there are to be learned in Heaven? If so then the book The Five People you Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom would be the perfect book for you. This book takes an interesting view on what happens after you die and what you experience in heaven upon first arriving. The main character in the book Eddie is a depressed older man who feels as if his life is meaningless and shameful. He works at an amusement park just as his father did and he feels as if he hasn’t accomplished anything in his life. One day on he 83 rd birthday he gets a surprise that will not only change his perspective on life, but his life altogether. He is killed that day trying to save a little girl’s life of whom he doesn’t know. He then enters heaven and in heaven he meets five people and each person has a special lesson to share with Eddie that will help him to better understand his life and why things happen the way they do.
Personal Reaction: Over all I thought the book as a whole was just okay. One reason I didn’t really care for the book was because it was too predictable. The same thing happened every chapter and at times this recurrence made the book really dull. For example Eddie would meet one of the five people and then right after that he would learn a lesson there was never a change in the pattern in the way things occurred. This repetitive nature of the book made it boring and unexciting. Although, it was predictable I still thought it was interesting at times and thought that some of the lessons were very inspiring such as the one that reminded me that just because someone you loved died doesn’t mean they are not with you or need to be forgotten. I also thought the author did a good job of not revealing too much information in the beginning. I liked how he only gave you the basics and then as you read on he would little by little let you know more about Eddie’s life. This kept me interested in the book. On the other hand I didn’t like how it ended. I wanted it to be more elaborate then it was. In conclusion I think this book is good and is easy to read and comprehend.
Title:A Bend in the Road (reviewed by Maggie S.)
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Synopsis: The death of Miles Ryan’s wife in a car accident has severely affected him for the past two years. He struggles to overcome the death of his wife and, at the same time, be the best father he can to his son, Jonah. His whole life is turned around when he meets Jonah’s teacher, Sarah Andrews who has just recently moved to New Bern. They gradually begin to fall for each other, but their love is brought to the ultimate test when Miles begins uncovering the mystery of who killed his wife.
Personal Reaction: I loved this book and found it hard to put it down. I did not believe there to be any weakness. Sparks engages the reader by intertwining Miles’s and Sarah’s stories together and creating a large element of mystery throughout the book. There are some wonderful twists in the novel and just when I thought I’d found out who killed Miles wife, I was thrown for a surprise. Sparks creates such great love between Miles and Sarah that made me root for them in the beginning. In it, Sparks poses the questions: can love be strong enough to make you do something you never thought possible as well as can love overcome even the deepest of hurt?
Title:The Guardian (reviewed by Leah M.)
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Synopsis: The Guardian is a novel by Nicholas Sparks about a young twenty-nine year old widow. Julie’s husband Jim died when she was twenty-five years old of cancer. Jim gave Julie, a Great Dane named Singer, when he died. His gift was for protection and companionship to her. Julie begins moving on by dating. She meets an engineer named Richard Franklin and goes on a series of dates with him. Richard appears to be a little obsessive and somewhat controlling. He also lacks the spark that Julie needs in a man. Julie finally realizes that she is in love with her best friend Mike Harris who has always been there for her especially during Jim’s death. Julie’s, Mike’s and others suspicions about Richard prove to be true when he will not leave Julie alone and begins some strange behaviors that eventually lead Julie, Mike, and others in the task of protecting their lives that are in the end ultimately protected by Singer.
Personal Reaction: I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The beginning was slow and somewhat hard to get into but after I read more I could not put it down. Sparks did a good job switching from the different characters and revealing their stories. When a new character was introduced Sparks gave appropriate background information on them so the reader really knew who they were. I constantly got the chills while I read the spine chilling climax. Sparks was careful not to reveal any information too early in the novel that would give away the ending. He also did a wonderful job showcasing the unconditional love between Julie and Mike. Sparks put across the message that no matter what the circumstance may be our loved ones will always be there for us and doing whatever it takes to protect us.
