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Kiss Me Kill Me by Lauren Henderson

Published February 3, 2009 Mystery , RAC , Realistic Fiction 8 Comments
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  260 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

Scarlett Wakefield goes to an exclusive private school called St. Tabby’s where she has two best friends and aspires to be an Olympic gymnast.  She is shocked when one day the elite group of girls in the school asks her to join them for a party.  She immediately drops her best friends in favor of this new group which causes a permanent rift.  When she is at the party she ends up kissing one of the most popular boys in school and he unexpectedly dies of an allergy attack.  No one is able to understand why he had this reaction and why he did not have his epinephrine pen on him.  She soon becomes blamed even though there is no proof that she did anything wrong.  Her life becomes so miserable that she is forced to move away and go to the private school her grandmother is headmistress of.  As she relives that horrible day when Dan died she cannot seem to stop punishing herself.  One day she receives a mysterious note in which she realizes that there is much more to this incident than she knows and she is determined to find out what it is.

This story is interesting and captures the reader’s attention from the beginning.  Anyone can identify with the feelings Scarlett has throughout the book.  The mystery element also becomes intriguing as most readers will not know right off what actually caused Dan’s death.  The only issue with the story is that the ending is unsatisfying and feels unfinished.  Whether a sequel is planned or not does not excuse the fact tht the ending feels too abrupt.

Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi

Published January 30, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  14 and up

# of pages:  136 p.

RAC:  Yes

Miles recently moved to live with his musician father in New Orleans and is still trying to get used to his new city when Hurricane Katrina unexpectedly changes his life forever.  Miles, his father, and his uncle all end up in the overcrowded Superdome.  There are terrible living conditions, including not enough food, gang activity, and limited bathrooms.  They also lose the freedom to come and go freely.  Miles and his family try to make the best out of their stay, but face many hardships as they try to wait out the storm.  In the process, the people around Miles struggle to come to terms with the fact that their entire lives and the city they love are all gone.

Many people saw accounts of Hurricane Katrina on the news, but this book gives an inside view of what it would have been like to actually live through this catastrophe.   There are some violent and difficult situations that arise as people panic and strive to keep their families safe.  For anyone who has not been in a situation this sudden and severe this can be an eye opening read about the many aspects of human nature during a natural disaster.

My Life: The Musical by Maryrose Wood

Published January 27, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 228 p.

RAC Book: Yes

Emily and Philip are two best friends who love the musical Aurora. They have accumulated a substantial debt going to see it every weekend for three years. Now they are shocked to learn that their beloved Broadway musical is set to close and there are no more tickets to be had.  Emily had borrowed all of their money for these tickets the last three years from her grandmother, who now wants to elope with her boyfriend and would like her money back.  This puts Emily and Philip in a bad situation as they have no way of paying this back and they can’t tell their parents because they never told them where they were going every weekend.  Can they manage to see their favorite show one more time or has their obsession ruined their lives forever?

This is a cute story about young adults who love musical theatre.  It is not fast paced or full of action, but students who enjoy the arts will find it amusing and fun to read.  Some young adults identify with activities such as sports and others enjoy the performing arts.  This is a book for those students who cannot live without the performing arts.  For students who do not know anything about Broadway and musicals they will learn a lot about this form of entertainment from this book.  This is a good book for those wanting something light that is not a romance.

Blind Faith by Ellen Wittlinger

Published January 22, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction 10 Comments
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  12 and up

# of Pages:  280 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

Liz’s grandmother, Bunny, dies before the book begins and Liz watches as her mother sinks further and further into a depression.  Liz and everyone else loved Bunny too, but she feels helpless as she watches her mother withdraw from everything important to her.  Meanwhile, the mean old lady across the street has some new visitors.  Liz learns that these visitors are her estranged daughter who is very sick and her two children.  Nathan is about Liz’s age and extremely angry about the fact that his mother is dying.  Courtney is younger and no one seems to want to tell her the true prognosis of her mother’s condition.  As Liz struggles with everything around her the one constant is her love of the piano.  She finds that playing the piano can help her cope with anything, but can she help those around her find their own ways of coping?

This story about life and death reaches out to everyone.  It illustrates how differently people handle loss and how all of their relationships are affected by it.  It also shows how important it is to communicate with people you care about, whether it be during a difficult or easy time.  When people fail to communicate with each other about anything it can cause tension and lead to bigger problems later on.

Host by Stephenie Meyer

Published January 20, 2009 Fantasy , RAC 2 Comments

Genre: Science Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 619 p.

RAC Book: Yes

The planet Earth has been taken over by a species who need human bodies to live off of. This species takes over the human mind, but has the power to heal any physical problems easily and painlessly. Wanda or the Wanderer has been a host on many planets, but has difficulty in her new human body when she can’t seem to suppress the soul that lives inside it, Melanie. As her and Melanie struggle for power inside this one human body, Wanda starts to grow weary of her overbearing alien supervisor. She decides to go find the people Melanie left behind in order to see if the memories Melanie has of love and friendship are true. They are met with suspicion and aggression by these humans who have thus far protected themselves from this species. As she strives to prove that she won’t hurt Melanie’s family and keep them from hurting her she begins to understand the capacity humans have to feel and love.

This book by Meyer is very different than her Twilight series and appeals to a different audience. I think the action and scientific aspects in the story will appeal to more young adults and even adults who have reservations about reading about vampires, especially men. The story is long and a bit slow at times, but it is also unique and interesting. Fans of science fiction or even fantasy books will enjoy it.

Diamonds in the Shadow by Caroline B. Cooney

Published January 16, 2009 Multicultural Fiction , RAC , Realistic Fiction 8 Comments
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 228 p.

RAC Book: Yes

Jared Finch and his family have agreed to take in a refugee family from Africa that their church is sponsoring. Jared is less than thrilled with the idea of sharing his room, his house, and his school with total strangers. The arrangement was made at the last minute when the planned apartment fell through. When the family arrives they seem distracted and afraid of everything as if something is chasing them. Jared also starts to notice that they do not act as a family. They hardly speak to each other and no one seems that concerned that the young daughter, Alake, has yet to speak or show any emotion about anything. Despite all of his misgivings, Jared begins to feel compassion and love for this family as his family helps them adjust to life in America. His concerns are not unfounded, however, and a dark secret is about to expose them all to terrible danger.

This book discusses what life is like in Africa including child armies, cruel treatment, and blood diamonds. The Finches, like many American families, are oblivious to the fact that people have to live in conditions like this. They are surprised that this African family has never seen a grocery store before and therefore cannot even fathom losing family members to preventable diseases and being forced to do things they would never do otherwise simply because a gun is pointed at their heads. This story discusses real issues that are going on in the world and would be a great read for any person. In addition to being informative, it is compelling and interesting all the way through. Highly recommended.

Losing Forever by Gayle Friesen

Published January 13, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction 1 Comment
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 13 and up

# of Pages: 247 p.

RAC Book: yes

Jes is struggling with every aspect of her life. She is still dealing with the death of her younger sister and subsequent divorce of her parents. Meanwhile, her mother is engaged to be married again and her new fiancee has brought his teenage daughter to live in Jes’s room. Jes’s best friend is smitten with her new boyfriend, which makes Jes feel unneeded and forgotten. Everyone keeps trying to include her in their plans, but she doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere anymore. Can she ever communicate her feelings to those she loves without alienating everyone around her?

This story appears very simple, but resonates with many teenagers who feel like life is passing them by while they try to make sense of what is around them. Teenagers go through many changes with friends and family and often need time to process and adjust to all of these changes. This story finds an audience and conveys a story that the audience can truly relate to. Life is never easy and people often respond to major life changes in different ways. It’s important for young adults to have characters like this one to read about in order to better understand their own feelings about major life changes.

Cover-Up by John Feinstein

Published January 8, 2009 RAC , Sports 4 Comments
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Genre: Sports Fiction

Age Level: 12 and up

# of Pages: 298 p.

RAC Book: Yes

Stevie and Susan Carol are back in this sequel to The Final Shot: A Final Four Mystery and Vanishing Act. At the beginning of this book, they have been working together on a sports show designed for kids, but Stevie gets fired when a popular singer becomes available. Stevie rebounds by getting invited to the Super Bowl as a reporter for a popular newspaper. Things become a little crazy when Susan Carol inadvertently learns that some of the drug tests were changed before the game. They decide to investigate and find that indeed several players should be ineligible to play in the big game. Finding this information puts them at great risk to both their physical well-being and their careers. They underestimated the amount of power the people who covered this up have and wonder if they will ever be taken seriously as reporters again.

Stevie and Susan Carol’s stories continue to get more interesting and well developed. This one is the most exciting and suspenseful yet and still packs in a lot of sports action. They do have a lot of lucky breaks in their methods of investigating, but they are also young teenagers who need to rely on many people coming to their rescue in order to get the story. Since the first book these two have gained great fame and admiration from many people. It’s nice that no one feels these two should not be allowed to have the access and opportunities that are handed to them despite their lack of qualifications, but in such a competitive environment it is a little hard to believe. It was a fast paced and well-written mystery that sports fans will enjoy.

Icecore by Matt Whyman

Published January 6, 2009 Adventure , RAC , Realistic Fiction 2 Comments
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 305 p.

RAC List: Yes

Carl Hobbes was mysteriously picked up on his way home from school and informed that he is being investigated for stealing gold bars from Fort Knox. He admits to taking a challenge issued to him by a chat room to find flaws in the security system, but denies having anything to do with the theft. He is taken to Icecore, a frozen detention center in the Arctic Circle for questioning. Carl is told that with his cooperation the United States won’t press charges, but after arriving in this place he quickly realizes that he may have been set up. The guards abuse the inmates, the inmates are kept in cages, and there are vicious dogs waiting to tear into them if they make a false move. As Carl begins to realize his dire situation, an unexpected even occurs in which he begins to worry more about his survival than his freedom.

For students who like to read spy type novels this book will keep their attention for the entire story. National security, detention centers, interrogation techniques, undercover spies, and even hardened criminals are all topics that are touched on in this exciting story. The middle lagged a bit and the ending may not please all readers, but it is still worth a read for fans of The Bourne Series or The Sleeper Code Series.

Revelations by Melissa De La Cruz

Published December 16, 2008 Fantasy , RAC 1 Comment
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Genre: Fantasy

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 264 p.

RAC Book: Yes

Revelations is the third in this Blue Bloods series. This book follows closely where Masquerade ended, with Schuyler now living with the Force family and hating every minute. She tries to contact her grandfather, Lawrence, whenever possible, but this becomes more and more difficult as he must travel away to Rio de Janeiro in order to deal with a possible threat from the Blue Bloods’ biggest enemy: the Silver Bloods. Meanwhile, Schuyler and Jack force become involved, which causes problems because he is meant to be with Mimi for all eternity and she is not about to let him break their bond. Bliss is dealing with her hurt feelings from when Dylan abandoned her and she must decide how to help him when he returns in a serious mental state.

Although much too short, this book is just as thrilling as the previous two. The characters seem to grow and develop more with each book, which helps the reader to understand all points of view as this story unfolds. This story has action, betrayal, lover’s trysts, murder, friendship, and even shocking plot twists. For fans of the first two novels or any type of fantasy or vampire fiction they will devour this book and finish it wanting more.

Hacking Harvard by Robin Wasserman

Published December 9, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction 1 Comment
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age level: 14 and up

# of pages: 320 p.

Three intelligent best friends enter into a bet that they can get anyone into Harvard. Max wants to do the bet for the substantial monetary prize. Eric does it to prove that the college applications system is flawed. Schwarz does it because he always does what he is told. The opposing team chooses a deadbeat slacker (Clay) from the senior class and they all get to work. First of all, they have to plan how to get Clay a great score on his SATs. Then, they need to train him for his college interview. Finally, they need to fix his current transcript. The entire time, though, as things continue to go wrong they can’t help but feel like they are being sabotaged. Plus, Eric starts to have second thoughts as he begins dating a girl who desperately wants to get into Harvard. He worries that if they do succeed in getting Clay in that will mean that one deserving person who would have gotten in will now be rejected. He begins to wonder which is more important: fairness or exposing a flawed system.

This fun story follows the many ups and downs as the characters navigate this difficult task. Obviously, this is a fictional story and in no way a how to manual for getting someone into an Ivy League school. At times the language can be a bit strong, but these are teenage boys and therefore the dialogue feels realistic. As the boys begin to think about their own futures it becomes clear that they are as confused as every other teenage student, despite their high IQs. A smart read about students who have high aspirations, but do not always know how to best use their intelligence.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Published December 4, 2008 Fantasy , RAC 4 Comments
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Genre: Fantasy

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 485 p.

RAC Book: Yes

One night when Clary Fray is at a party with her best friend she sees three strange looking teenagers kill another strange looking teenager. When she realizes that no one but her can see any of them she begins to get confused and looks to her mother for answers. Instead, her mother tells her they must go away for the rest of the summer. Clary runs off after fighting with her mother about this abrupt change in plans and ignores her mother’s repeated messages to come home. When she finally feels ready to talk to her mom she answers her phone to her frantic and scared mother begging her never to return home. After that no one can find a trace of her mother. Now Clary has to discover who her mother really is and what she has been hiding from Clary all these years. She also has to figure out who would take her mother and for what purpose. Is there a way to save her mother or is Clary on her own in a new world with people she never dreamed existed?

This fantasy story is the first in a series. Clary’s story follows many twists and turns as she tries to help find out what happened to her mother. The mysterious teenagers she met at the beginning all help her to understand this new world of shadowhunters, vampires, and werewolves she has just discovered. The ending is satisfying and packs a lot of surprises that will make the reader want to read the second one immediately after finishing. A good read for fantasy lovers.

The Entertainer and the Dybbuk by Sid Fleischman

Published December 2, 2008 Historical Fiction , RAC Leave a Comment
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Genre: Historical Fiction

Age Level: 15 and up

# of Pages: 180 p.

RAC Book: Yes

A dybbuk is a Jewish ghost or spirit. The story takes place shortly after WWII and follows an entertainer who travels around with a dummy and performs in different clubs. He is not terribly talented and many people complain about seeing his lips move. One night he returns home to find a ghost of a young boy in his closet. The boy claims to be a dybbuk who will not leave until he has finished what he came for. Despite the efforts of the man to ignore the dybbuk, he insists on inhabiting the body of the dummy which makes the entertainer’s show a great success. The man feels nervous, however, because he knows his success is directly linked to this dybbuk and he is worried that he will have to do things he does not want to do in order to please this spirit in the future.

Although the Holocaust is over in this story, the effects of it linger on in every character and location in the story. The dybbuk is a victim of the Holocaust and feels like he has some tasks to complete before he can relax in the afterlife. The book is not very long, but it is not for someone looking for a quick read because of the many serious issues that are discussed. Also, someone with a background of the Holocaust will get more out of it than someone who does not know much about this time period. This is a good story about Europe post WWII, which is a time most students probably have not read much about.

Saturday Night Dirt by Will Weaver

Published November 25, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Sports 1 Comment
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Genre: Sports Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of pages: 163 p.

RAC Book: yes

This story about car racing follows many different characters as they prepare for a night of racing at Headwaters Speedway. Melody Waters is the track manager as well as the daughter of the racetrack owner. The track is in serious financial trouble due to several rained out nights and Melody is determined to make tonight a success despite the rain in the forecast. Trace Bonham is concerned that his car is simply not driving correctly despite his mechanics reassurances that it should be in working order. He starts to worry he may not have what it takes to be a good driver. Beau Kim does not have the money to buy a car of his own and has made one out of parts that have been discarded by other drivers. He hopes to remain competitive even with a car of far lower quality than everyone else’s. The story also focuses on the people who work at the racetrack and some of the fans.

For fans of car racing this book will keep their attention. It moves quickly and has a fair amount of racing action. For readers not familiar with this racing world, however, some of the racing rules and traditions may seem odd or confusing. The different perspectives of the characters are interesting, but none of them get fully introduced to the reader since there are so many that the author juggles. Recommended for fans of car racing, but most other readers will want to keep looking.

Lush by Natasha Friend

Published November 21, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction 11 Comments
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 178 p.

RAC Book: Yes

Samantha struggles with the fact that her father is an alcoholic. He is a successful architect who often comes home late or not at all due to his drinking habits. Her mother is constantly making excuses for him and trying to tell her that everything is okay, but Samantha does not believe this and starts to grow distant from him. After a binge he is always apologetic and promising change, but Sam quickly learns that his word means nothing. Her little brother is young enough that he doesn’t understand what is going on, but Sam tries to protect him from it nonetheless. She begins leaving notes for someone in the library she believes might be able to help her, but the person responding to her notes is not who she thinks it is. As she deals with some bullying at school the situation at home continues to get worse. The worst part is that she starts to wonder if she could have the same tendencies as her father.

Alcoholism is a very serious topic for young adults, but this story relates the topic best to teenagers and what it can be like to live with an alcoholic. This book discusses the warning signs, the symptoms, and even the steps needed to begin overcoming this disease. Having said that, it never gets preachy or gives the impression that something of this nature can be fixed quickly. Communication is stressed as being very important to helping a family member work through this problem. A good book about a serious subject.

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