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What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Published July 5, 2011 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 4 Comments
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction/Romance

# of Pages:  402 pages

RAC Book:  Yes

Mclean has been moving around with her dad ever since her parents’ traumatizing divorce.  Her dad is a restaurant consultant who goes into struggling restaurants to help them turn it around before it is too late.  This is the fourth city Mclean has lived in over the past two years.  Her relationship with her mother is strained at best as she tries to constantly bring her home and Mclean resists.  One of the reasons Mclean likes moving with her dad is because she can reinvent herself each place they go.  When they reach this latest location, however, she finds it harder and harder to ignore who she really is.  She especially has trouble pretending she is someone else when she is with the next door neighbor boy.  Can Mclean come to terms with her parents’ divorce?  Can she find herself and be prepared for college the following year?  Can she keep aloof with her new friends and refuse to form true connections?

Fans of Sarah Dessen will devour this book as it has all of her trademark appeal.  The characters are multi-dimensional and true.  The story is believable and does not rely on over the top plot twists to keep readers interested.  The relationships are so honest that anyone can identify with someone’s situation.  Overall, another gem for Dessen.  Teenage girls will love it.

Matched by Ally Condie

Published April 4, 2011 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 4 Comments
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction/Romance

# of Pages:  369 pages

RAC Book:  Yes

Cassia lives in a perfect society where everyone has the same clothes, houses, food, and education.  Everyone is watched by the officials to make sure they are behaving correctly and following all the rules.  When Cassia goes to her match ceremony to find out who the officials have chosen to be her perfect match she is shocked when it turns out to be her best friend.  She is even more surprised later when another boy’s face appears on her match’s ID card.  Can the society make mistakes?  Do they have a choice in ANY aspect of their lives?

This book resembles societies in books like The Giver, but delves a little deeper into a world where literally everything is chosen for you and nothing is really yours.  Everyone must follow orders about every aspect of their lives down to how they spend their free time.  Disease, pollution, and drug dependency are all a thing of the past, but is it okay to live people’s lives for them?  Condie creates a great series here with characters that readers will want to know more about.  It also encourages readers to think about the choices they make everyday and the way they choose to live their lives.  This book is bound to find a following and could be great for classroom reads as well.

My Ultimate Sister Disaster by Jane Mendle

Published January 21, 2011 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  198

RAC:  Yes

Franny feels like her life is too ordinary and that she has no special talents.  Her sister, Zooey, meanwhile is one of the best ballerinas at her elite ballet school and has just been offered the role of a lifetime playing Juliet in an upcoming production.  Franny secretly likes her newspaper editor and desperately wants to write a valuable article for the paper.  Things do not work out well for either sister when Zooey breaks her leg and is sidelined from the performance and Franny’s debut article is rejected by her crush.  The two are forced to spend more time together than they have in years and they learn that they have many misunderstandings regarding each other.  Can they find a way for them to co-exist without one of them feeling less than worthy?

This story sounds simple, but the characters draw the reader in.  Even readers who do not have siblings will be able to identify with that person that seems to have everything together while they do not.  Everyone has that person and this book really shows that no one has a perfect life and everyone thinks someone else has a better life than they do.  There is also a bit of romance and some lighthearted drama in the book that young high schoolers will enjoy.  Recommended for readers who enjoy Sarah Dessen novels.

Top 8 by Katie Finn

Published January 11, 2011 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction/Romance

# of Pages:  304

RAC Book:  Yes

Madison MacDonald is horrified when she returns from her two week spring break vacation with her family to discover that her “friendverse” account (which is like Facebook) has been hacked.  While she was in Ecuador without Internet access someone broke into her account and wrote terrible things to her friends and even broke up with her boyfriend.  As Madison deals with the fallout of everyone hating her, she is also trying to find out why someone would want to hurt her this way.  Meanwhile, she is also hanging out with a boy she met on her trip.  Can Madison clear her name and find the culprit before her life becomes unbearable?

This story is a quick, light read but many teens will be able to identify with it.  Madison comes to the shocking realization that many people have a motive to hurt her and it makes her wonder if she needs to change the way she lives.  The writing style is a bit simple at times and most readers will figure the hacker out before Madison does, but the message is a good one and it is in a format many teens will understand.  The romance will also interest many young readers.  The issues of trust, cyber bullying, and gossip are handled well here and are unfortunately timely issues that teens need to face.

Rush by Jonathan Friesen

Published January 7, 2011 Adventure , RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  295

RAC Book:  Yes

Jake King has always had a need for danger and excitement, but this need has gotten him into trouble on more than one occasion.  When his climbing antics actually injure an innocent bystander he is expelled from school.  At this point, he decides to join a very dangerous fire fighting troop in his town, but his next door neighbor and love interest does not like this idea because many young men have died mysteriously in this group.  Jake really feels fighting dangerous forest fires will be the only way he can keep himself from doing more crazy stunts in an attempt to clear his head.  Once he is training, however, he receives some stern warnings about one of the leaders and believes it is up to him to stop that leader from putting anyone else in danger.

Jake believes that he cannot think straight unless he is on an adrenaline high.  He also believes he has no fear of death, which is why he will not get involved with his next door neighbor whom he secretly loves.  Jake’s motivations and feelings are displayed clearly, but some of the back story is a little confusing at first.  It’s like stepping into a story where the characters have backgrounds that the reader is expected to know.  Some readers may be disappointed in the training and fire fighting scenes as well.  The book is advertised as being about someone who loves the adrenaline rush, but many of his death defying stunts are described quickly and fail to truly draw the reader in.  This book is still recommended for readers who like action and climbing books, but this is not the best one out there.

Stork by Wendy Delsol

Published November 16, 2010 Fantasy , RAC , Romance 2 Comments
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Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages 357

RAC Book:  Yes

 

Katla is having a difficult time adjusting to Minnesota after living in California her entire life.  Her parents’ recent divorce is difficult to adjust to as well.  When she learns that she is a member of a secret stork society she realizes her return to her mother’s home town may not be accidental after all.  Kat is supposed to help babies find their destined mothers through the help of the stork society and her own visions.  Meanwhile, she learns she had a traumatic episode involving a local boy, Jack, when she was younger that she blocked out.  She feels a strong connection to Jack and does not know if it is because of their near death experience as children or because of her affiliation with the storks.  Can she find her place in this new and mysterious town in Minnesota?

The premise behind this story is very intriguing as Katla navigates her skills as a stork, but this aspect of the book is not explored as much as it could and should have been.  The majority of the plot focuses on Jack and Kat’s relationship, which has some mystery and intrigue.  Readers who enjoy folklore will find their romance interesting, but there are many predictable aspects due to the overwhelming foreshadowing.  The ending is exciting, but everything is wrapped up too quickly and some readers might get confused about the plethora of information revealed in the last 20 pages.  Fans of the Twilight series would be the target audience for this title.

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

Published November 5, 2010 Historical Fiction , RAC , Romance Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Historical Fiction/Romance

# of Pages:  389

RAC Book:  Yes

Anna Godbersen, the author of the Luxe series, has created a new and interesting series with Bright Young Things.  The story follows three young girls trying to make a life for themselves in New York City in the summer of 1929.  Letty and Cordelia run away from Ohio after Cordelia is forced into a marriage she does not believe in.  Letty’s goal is to sing for adoring fans, while Cordelia wants to find her long, lost father.  Meanwhile, Astrid is already rich and fashionable in New York, but desperately wants her boyfriend, Charlie, to show her the commitment she feels she deserves.  As the three girls’ lives intertwine the spirit and innocence of this time comes through in a way that will keep readers eager for more.

Godbersen once again created characters that readers will care about with a backdrop of the Roaring 20s at its best.  Many interesting characters are introduced, some a bit on the unsavory side, which keeps the reader guessing as to the true motives of everyone.  There are some remarkable coincidences in this story, which tends to happen in Godbersen’s stories, but most readers will be so caught up in the story they will be easily overlooked.  This is a fun, fresh, and exciting historical fiction novel for teens.

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

Published September 27, 2010 Fantasy , RAC , Romance Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages:  281

RAC Book:  Yes

Alona is arguing with someone on her cell phone when she fails to look before she crosses a street and is killed by a school bus.  She dies, but does not go to heaven as she expects.  Instead, she remains around her high school and finds she can see how everyone is coping with her death.  To her dismay, her high school did not come to a screeching halt merely because its most popular girl died.  She begins to get frustrated because she doesn’t know how to get to heaven, but then she realizes that the weird goth kid, Will Killian, can see and hear her.  She makes it her mission to make him help her get to the other side, but Will needs some favors of his own.  Can the two overcome their differences to work together and find happy outcomes for both?

This is a fun, light story with some very real problems in it.  Alona was the popular girl of the class, but that did not mean her life was perfect and Will soon finds that she hid some very serious problems from her classmates.  Meanwhile, Will is struggling with his gift of seeing the dead and worries he might end up like his father who had shared the same gift.  There is a bit of swearing, but it won’t be anything most high school students aren’t used to hearing.  The message of the story is clear and readers will move through the fast paced story quickly.  The ending is a little unclear, but overall it was an enjoyable read.

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Published September 20, 2010 Fantasy , RAC , Romance 2 Comments
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Genre:  Fantasy/Romance

# of Pages:  452

RAC Book:  Yes

Luce begins her first day at Sword and Cross, a reform school, and feels lost until she sets eyes on Daniel Grigori.  Suddenly she feels like she is home and has known him all of her life.  He insists he does not know her and tries to push her away at every opportunity.  Meanwhile, Luce is trying to come to terms with the reason she has had to come to Sword and Cross.  She was involved in another student’s death at her previous school and knows that her weird visions had something to do with it, but she maintains her innocence to anyone who questions her about the incident.  She meets some unusual students at the school and finds she has no real allegiance to any of them when Daniel is present.   Can she find out why she is so drawn to him and yet why he is so determined to keep her away?

This fantasy mystery story will appeal to the Twilight and City of Bones readers.  There are no vampires in the story, but the romance is compelling as it plays out.  The story has a unique nature that many fantasy stories do not and the characters are colorful and memorable.  Beware that there is a sequel in the works and the story is not resolved by this book’s end.  A must read for fantasy/romance lovers.

A Wind in Montana by Mitch Davies

Published June 10, 2010 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance Leave a Comment
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**Special Review**

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of pages:  271

RAC Book:  Yes

This new book by Mitch Davies follows a high school student, Rory, through his senior year of high school.  He finds a passion in chemistry and decides to quit band in order to study harder for a big scholarship awarded at the end of the year.  This decision does not go over well with his band teacher who argues he just wants to spend more time with his girlfriend, despite Rory’s insistence that he really wants to focus on chemistry.  Meanwhile, he begins to spend more time with another person in the chemistry group named Victoria.  They always seem to have a lot to talk about and challenge each other in many ways.  As they begin to grow closer and Rory splits with his current girlfriend, they both try to decide what they want in their futures. 

Senior year is a stressful and exciting time as you try to decide what you will do after graduation and what kind of person you ultimately want to become.  Mitch Davies does an excellent job of conveying how these different feelings and pressures are put onto these young students.  The relationships between colleagues, teachers, and parents are written in a way that anyone can identify with.  The ending is satisfying and will cause a lot of discussion among teenage readers.  Recommended for all readers, but high school students will get a lot out of it as they are struggling with similar decisions and pressures, not to mention the excitement of young love.  There is a bit of language and sexuality, but it rings true to the characters. 

The Everafter by Amy Huntley

Published April 19, 2010 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 1 Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction/Romance

# of pages:  245 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

Madison wakes up in a strange reality she calls “is” because there’s no way to describe it.  She believes she is dead because she can’t feel a body, but she does see objects in the space around her.  If she touches an object she is brought back to her life through a memory of when she lost that item.  She quickly realizes that she does not have memories past the age of 17 and knows she died young, but cannot remember how.  As she tries to navigate through the memories of her life she realizes she is not the only spirit lingering in those memories.  Will she ever be able to talk to anyone from her life?  Will she ever find out how she died?  Can she ever move past this place of “is” to the everafter?

This book was engaging, unique, and interesting.  As Madison moves through the memories of her life the reader cannot help but think about how she will meet her untimely demise.  Despite the fact that the reason behind her death is set up throughout the story, it will be a shock to most readers the way it actually happens.  Madison’s friendships and family relationships are easy to identify with and it’s hard to imagine how they must cope with her death.  Madison, however, believes that everyone dies when they are supposed to go and it’s okay, but she would like to know how it happens.  She feels no regret about how she lived or died.  This is a very interesting read that will leave the reader thinking about life and death long after the final page.

Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Published April 13, 2010 Fantasy , RAC , Romance Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Fantasy/Romance

# of Pages:  351 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

Jessica is a normal American teenager trying to enjoy her senior year, which seems more difficult when a strange Romanian exchange students comes to stay with her family.  Lucius claims to be a vampire who was betrothed to her when they were babies.  When Jessica turns to her parents for answers she learns that they were asked to raise her so that she would be safe until the pact could be realized.  Despite Lucius’s fervent efforts to convince her to marry him, she finds him repulsive and wants to date the normal high school boy, Jake, instead.  When Lucius starts dating a cheerleader at school Jessica is unprepared for the jealousy she feels.  Is it too late to have Lucius to herself?  Does she really believe in vampires?  Does she think she has what it takes to join this dark world?

This vampire story is very original and engaging.  Readers who like vampire fiction will devour this book and wish for a sequel.  Of all the vampire books available right now, this one has the perfect mix of the fantasy world readers love to escape to and the real world that teenagers can identify with.  The characters and plot are much more substantial than readers might be expecting and will be pleasantly surprised by this title.  Highly recommended for fantasy readers.

Hold Still by Nina LaCour

Published April 2, 2010 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 1 Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  229

RAC Book:  No

Caitlin is having a difficult time coping with the suicide of her best friend, Ingrid.  Her parents keep trying to help her by creating projects for her and offering her space, but she cannot seem to feel normal again.  When a new girl in school, Dylan, tries to befriend her Caitlin feels guilty for having fun with someone else.  One day, Caitlin discovers Ingrid’s journal under her bed.  Slowly, she reads each entry and learns a lot about Ingrid she never knew.  She feels bad that Ingrid did not feel she could talk to her about her issues and wishes she could have helped, but also realizes she must begin to put her life back together.  She picks up her photography again and begins building a tree house in order to show everyone she is moving on, but not forgetting.

This book does have a few graphic scenes and some raw language, but many students will really identify with it.  The different feelings Caitlin has are portrayed so realistically that any reader feels like he or she has experienced this terrible loss.  Caitlin’s slow progression toward acceptance and healing feels natural and healthy and the people along the way who help her are engaging side characters.  Anyone who enjoyed Thirteen Reasons Why will enjoy this title as well.

DupliKate by Cherry Cheva

Published March 25, 2010 Fantasy , RAC , Romance Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages:  242

RAC Book:  Yes

Kate is highly stressed as she heads into finals week before Christmas break.  She has to finish her college essay, retake the SATs, finish building a robot for her Science final, and prepare for and take her finals.  Meanwhile, her boyfriend is getting annoyed that she hasn’t been spending as much time with him lately even though she is trying to get into Yale to be with him.  One night while on her computer, she accidentally opens a simulation program she has not looked at in years.  The next morning she wakes up to find she has a clone.  Naturally, this bothers her, but she is so busy she keeps pushing Rina aside.  As Rina tries to help Kate get everything done she begins to let her, but only with things that are not graded.  As Rina begins to take over Kate’s life she realizes that Rina’s intentions may not be completely innocent.

This light book moves quickly and will keep the interest of young students who generally like Meg Cabot or Kate Brian books.  The character of Kate does try to avoid cheating by using her clone, which is nice considering many teens would use this as an opportunity to sleep in and still get good grades.  As Kate evaluates all of the goals she has set for herself she completely turns everything upside down near the end and there is not a lot of content in the story to explain why.  All in all, it’s a very predictable read, but those who want something light should enjoy it.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Published March 9, 2010 Fantasy , RAC , Romance 2 Comments
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Genre:  Fantasy/Romance

# of Pages:  392 p.

RAC list: Yes

When Grace was little she was attacked by wolves, but was saved by a wolf with yellow eyes.  Ever since then Grace has watched out her window for her wolf with yellow eyes and often sees him in the winter.  After a local teenager is attacked and killed, the town immediately tries to hunt down all of the wolves.  As Grace tries to stop them she finds an injured boy with yellow eyes.  She quickly realizes that this is in fact her wolf and wants to get to know him as a human, but unfortunately, his time is running short and soon he will have to change back…maybe forever.

This romance story reads similarly to the Twilight series, but this book is more romance and less action.  Grace and Sam’s relationship is sweet and endearing, but the book itself takes a rather leisurely pace.  Many of the plot twists are predictable and the final resolution seems much too quick, but fans of Bella and Jacob will not be able to put this one down.

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