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Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Published October 30, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 2 Comments
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alongfor ride

Genre:  Realistic Fiction/ Romance

# of Pages:  383 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

Like other Dessen books, Along for the Ride follows a teenage girl, Auden, who is trying to enjoy the summer before her freshman year in college.  Her entire life she has worked hard at academics and let everything else fall away.  Her parents are divorced and both authors and professors, so there has always been a lot of pressure to excel.  Auden’s older brother, Hollis, is more of a free spirit and has been backpacking through Europe for almost two years.  Meanwhile, Auden’s dad recently remarried and had a baby girl.  When life with her overbearing mother gets too difficult she decides to spend the summer with her dad and Heidi in their small beach town.  Heidi is having trouble adjusting to life with a newborn since Auden’s dad spends all of his time locked in his office working on his next book.  Auden meets a troubled young man who seems to open up to her when he won’t talk to anyone else about the horrific event in his past.  As Auden navigates her own life she learns a lot from those around her.

Dessen portrays in this story how easy it can be for anyone to pass judgment on another person while not taking responsibility for his or her own choices.  In the end, many of the characters learn that in order to truly be happy you have to try things that are scary, which can be anything from relationships to riding a bike, even if that means you might fail.  In other words, playing it safe does not make for a satisfying life without regrets.  Auden’s family has always judged anyone who does not consider academics to be the most important thing to be beneath them.  During this summer of enlightenment, Auden begins to see that each person should be able to make his or her personal decisions about how to live life to the fullest and those people should have the benefit of not being judged for those choices.  A page turner!

Jet Set by Carrie Karasyov and Jill Kargman

Published October 6, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 4 Comments
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jet

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  14 and up

# of pages:  240

RAC Book:  Yes

Lucy Peterson is an army corporal’s daughter and a great tennis player.  When she decides that she is tired of moving around and wants to have a more stable high school experience, she decides to apply for a scholarship to the exclusive Van Pelt Academy boarding school in Switzerland.  She quickly discovers that these are by far the wealthiest and most powerful teenagers in the world, some of them are even royalty.  The three most popular girls are called the Diamonds and immediately dislike Lucy, so she befriends a girl named Sofia.   Sofia is nice enough, but seems too worried about gossip and pulling mean pranks on the Diamonds and Lucy starts to wonder what her true motives are.  At the same time she works hard at her tennis and gets to know two powerful boys.  One is a powerful prince that seems nice, but distant.  The other wants her attention, but Lucy can’t get over the fact that so many people have warned her about him.  Which boy should she try to get to know better?  Can she trust Sofia or is she going to be an enemy?  Can she ever learn to get along with the Diamonds?

Readers who enjoyed Bittersweet Sixteen and Summer Intern will not be disappointed with this new book by the same authors.  Teen drama, gossip, and of course fashion labels are all mixed together to create an enjoyable light read.  The characters are all unpredictable and interesting to watch as they grow and develop.  The ending is a bit predictable, but that’s what readers who like this type of book will want.

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

Published October 21, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 8 Comments
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 281 p.

RAC Book: Yes

In one of Sarah Dessen’s early books, Halley struggles through her junior year of high school. Things do not turn out as planned when her best friend, Scarlet, finds out she is pregnant with her boyfriend’s baby. The boyfriend died unexpectedly in a motorcycle accident over the previous summer. At the same time, Halley begins dating a boy her mother disapproves of and they begin fighting constantly. Finally, her grandmother whom she is named after is dying.

Dessen’s work has come a long way in the last ten years. While there is nothing bad about this book, the characters fail to compel readers to continue turning pages like some of her more recent books like The Truth About Forever. Teen readers will still enjoy this one, but the lack of resolution at the end will bother some of them.

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Published October 16, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 4 Comments
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 422 p.

RAC Book: Yes

Ruby was abandoned by her mother just mere months before her eighteenth birthday. Despite her efforts to live alone, she is found out by her landlord and taken to social services. Soon she is living with her estranged older sister, Cora, in her huge house with her wealthy business minded husband. Ruby and Cora were close as children and so when Cora went off to college and never came back Ruby took it very hard. Soon she comes to find out that nothing was as simple as she thought it was. As she struggles to remain a loner in her new caring environment, she also struggles against becoming friends with the ambitious eager to please neighbor boy, Nate, who often gives her rides to school. She finds out that life isn’t just tough for the people who live in low rent housing, however, as she begins to get closer to Nate and catches a glimpse at his real life.

For fans of Sarah Dessen this book will not disappoint. Dessen has once again managed to create characters that are complex and interesting that readers want to know more about. In Cora’s opulent lifestyle it’s hard to imagine that anyone could be unhappy or unsatisfied in any way, but as Ruby begins to get to know the people who live in this world she sees that no one’s life is perfect. This book covers some serious issues such as abandonment, child abuse, infertility, alcoholism, and workaholics. A great read.

The Fake Boyfriend by Kate Brian

Published September 25, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 3 Comments
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 12 and up

# of pages: 262 p.

RAC book: Yes

Lane and Vivi feel that their other best friend, Isabelle, allows her loser boyfriend to walk all over her. When he cheats on her in a very public place they decide to act before she decides to take him back again. They start chatting with her online as a fake boyfriend. They set up the profile online and encourage Lane’s brother to chat with her so that it sounds like a boy. As you can imagine, craziness breaks out when Isabelle decides she wants to ask her mystery man to prom. Lane and Vivi have to scramble to find someone who can play their made up man.  Who they end up finding only causes more problems.

While this story has many predictable factors, there is also something sweet about the lengths these two girls will go to in order to protect their friend from someone they think intentionally hurts and uses her. The ending is a bit more complicated than expected based on the simplicity of the story thus far and packs a few unexpected twists. Girls who enjoy reading Meg Cabot books will be a fan of this one as well. The characters are well-developed and the ending is impossibly happy. Readers who like a little edge in their stories should avoid this one.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Published September 11, 2008 Fantasy , RAC , Romance 1 Comment
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Genre: Fantasy

Age Level: 14 and up

# of pages:

RAC Book: Yes

In this final installment of the Twilight series, Bella ventures down some very grown up paths compared to her previous high school life. Now that she is graduated and preparing to marry Edward she has to deal with any possible repercussions from the werewolves as the treaty between the werewolves and the vampires will be broken. She also must deal with the possibility that she will never see her family again. Despite these worries, Bella marries Edward and feels happy about her decision. On their honeymoon getaway an unexpected twist shakes their relationship to the core and Bella must make a tough decision about her own survival. In the end, her decision puts both her family and her new in-laws in danger as an imminent threat plans to destroy them all.

This series has such a strong fan base that it is impressive how Meyer managed to create an intricate and detailed final book to this saga. Although most pieces ended up fitting together nicely in the end, many readers will be unable to predict some of the unexpected plot twists and what they will eventually mean to the final story. Fans will feel okay about leaving the characters after this story because it thoroughly sets up what will happen to them after this point. There are no unanswered questions and even the most complicated obstacles are discussed. Considering how many things were left up in the air going into this book, it is amazing how Meyer managed to evolve the characters to deal with all of these issues in a way that didn’t seem too contrived or easy. A very strong and unique fantasy story that will be around for years to come.

The V Club by Kate Brian

Published August 26, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 2 Comments
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 280 p.

Eva, Debbie, Kai, and Mandy are all really good friends who in their own way need a way to help pay for college. When a new scholarship comes up offering enough for any of them to go wherever they want to go for four years, they all jump at the chance to apply. The only catch is that a stipulation of the scholarship is for the recipient to be “pure.”

Eva considers herself a perfect candidate since she has only even daydreamed about kissing a boy.  Mandy and long time boyfriend Eric have discussed taking the relationship further, but haven’t yet.  Debbie is shocked to learn that everyone assumes she has shared many sexual partners when in fact she hasn’t.  Kai, the new girl, seems mysterious about the entire discussion of purity.  As each girl struggles with her own personal battles they start to drift apart and get overly competitive for this scholarship money.  The question  is not whether or not their virginity is in tact, but whether their friendship will be after all of the drama that ensues.

The idea of purity to a high school student can vary depending on the student.  This open, honest book about four realistic high school students and their many struggles with relationships, parents, and even college planning will resonate with many high school girls.  It is not preachy in the direction of abstinence or sexual activity, but just tries to show the variety of reasons why high school students do or do not choose to stay virgins.  An interesting, realistic read about a very important but often ignored topic.

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Published April 29, 2008 Historical Fiction , RAC , Romance Leave a Comment
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Genre: Romance/Historical Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 433 p.

RAC Book: Yes

This story takes place in Manhattan in 1899. Although, it takes place a long time ago it is still relevant to many issues students deal with today such as dating, popularity, clothes, money, scandals, and friendship.

Elizabeth Holland is a very beautiful girl who comes from an elite family. Her and her sister, Diana, rule the social circles of the time. Elizabeth surprises herself by falling in love with the stable boy. She comes to terms with this, but must choose between being with him or saving her family from ruin. Diana finds herself attracted to Henry Schoonmaker, which causes a problem because he is engaged to someone very close to her. Plus, another major player in the social circuit, Penelope, has set her sights on Henry and will do anything to get him.

This story takes the reader inside the social circuits of 1899 Manhattan and does not disappoint with twists and scandals throughout the story. There were some aspects that seemed a bit predictable and superfluous, however. For example, there were some characters that did not seem to have a purpose. Also, the ending and what actually happens to the characters is left somewhat open ended and it is unrealistic that everything works out perfectly. There could still be a lot of deception and trickery brewing before these characters reach the end of their story.  Readers who enjoy Gossip Girl will be fans of this book.

Hot Lunch by Alex Bradley

Published April 17, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance , Site Meter 3 Comments
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of pages: 276

RAC Book: Yes

Molly is a somewhat sullen teenager who makes it her mission in life to keep others as far away from her as possible. When she is paired up with a new girl on a school project she does her best to push the girl away until they each decide to do their own project. Since this was not the assignment they get poor grades and get into a big fight in the lunchroom. This leads to a punishment of serving lunches for two weeks. Unfortunately, they fail to improve their behavior and in a bizarre turn of events end up having to run the entire lunchroom until the students vote for five days in a row that their food is better than the previous lunch lady’s.

While there are several reasons why I believe something like this would never happen in a high school, it was a very funny concept. The two main characters, Molly and Cassie, represent a group of high school students who don’t feel they belong anywhere. Cassie uses this fact as incentive to try harder to fit in, while Molly decides to actually try not to fit in. Together they learn a lot about the groups that make up high school while at the same time learning about leadership, nutrition, cooking, and friendship. This incredibly funny book questions some of the processes that have remained unchanged in schools for so long when better options have come along. Students will enjoy the humor and might look at food and nutrition differently after reading this book.

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Published January 22, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Romance

Age Level:  12 and up

# of pages:  374 p.

RAC:  Yes

Sixteen-year-old Macy is still trying to cope with not only the loss of her father, but the guilt she felt over the circumstances surrounding his death.  Her older sister has since moved out and gotten married and her mother has thrown herself into her work.  Meanwhile her boyfriend, whom she thinks is so perfect and smart, plans to spend the summer at Brain Camp.  She is supposed to take over his job at the library where his friends are incredibly mean and cold to her.

One fateful night her mother throws a business party and the caterers have some minor mishaps, which makes her mother very unhappy.  Macy is recruited to go check on them and finds them fun and willing to take on challenges.  Delia, the owner, is very pregnant and trying her best to keep things together.  Bert and Wes are brothers who lost their mother to Cancer and only have each other to take care of.  Kristy and Monica are sisters who couldn’t be more opposite as Kristy is friendly and outgoing and Monica only speaks one word at a time.  Macy feels drawn to this crazy group in some way.

When Macy’s boyfriend decides to “take a break” for the summer, she finds herself contacting the catering company for a summer job.  Taking the catering job makes a huge difference to Macy as she tries to deal with her own feelings of grief and those of her mother’s.  At the same time, she grows closer to Wes and wonders if she needs someone who doesn’t make her feel unwanted.

The characters in this book are so believable and captivating that it is hard to put down.  The issues Macy and the others are going through are so real that anyone can connect to them  in some way.  Family, friends, loss, closure, and communication are all themes in this book that help remind us all how important it is to take control of our own lives and not let anyone else do it for us.   Highly recommended.

The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares

Published January 15, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 9 Comments
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction/Romance

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  306

RAC Book:  Yes

Alice spends every summer at her family’s summer house on Fire Island hanging out with her older sister, Riley, and the next door neighbor boy, Paul.  Riley and Paul have been best friends since they were kids and Alice always tagged along.  Now that they are in their early twenties they decide to spend another summer there to try and recapture some of their youth.  Alice and Riley have not seen Paul for three years so both feel a little anxious, but for very different reasons.

After Riley contracts strep throat she accidentally forgets her medication on the beach and when she goes to retrieve it finds Alice and Paul in a compromising position.  As Alice and Paul become involved romantically they feel guilty leaving Riley behind.  Riley was always the leader when they were kids and in many ways has never changed while everyone else has grown up.   Due to the fact that Riley never found her strep throat pills, it develops into rheumatic heart disease.  Riley insists that Alice let her tell Paul about her condition herself, but neglects to do so for many months.  Since Alice has sworn not to tell Riley’s secret it drives a wedge between her and Paul.  Alice also gives up her plans for law school and stays home to help take care of Riley.

This is a story about sisters, family, friendship, and love.  However, many of the ways these characters go about showing their love makes the reader wonder if they really love each other at all.  Alice and Paul feel so bad about betraying Riley by getting romantically involved that they actually feel like they brought on Riley’s illness by not telling her.  Riley knows about their romance but doesn’t tell them because she doesn’t want to be left out if they make up.  Riley also fails to tell Paul about her disease even though she knows it’s the reason they broke up.  The motivations of the characters often seem unreasonable and selfish at times.  There are a lot of issues and emotions dealt with, just like many of Brashares books, but readers looking for another Traveling Pants series will be disappointed.  

 

Avalon High by Meg Cabot

Published December 14, 2007 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 1 Comment
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Genre:  Romance/Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  12 and up

# of Pages:  288

RAC Book:  Yes

Ellie, named after Elaine of Astolat, has just moved to the east coast with her parents.  Her parents are professors who have taken a year of sabbatical in order to write books.  Her dad is writing about a medieval sword and her mom is writing about Elaine of Astolat and the connections to King Arthur’s legend.  As Ellie starts at a new school she meets Will, who is the class president and all around a perfect guy.  Unfortunately, he has a girlfriend, Jennifer, so Ellie decides to forget any notions of romance.  When she finds out that Will’s best friend, Lance, is messing around with Jennifer, however, she must decide how to handle the situation.  Should she tell Will?  Should she protect Will?

Although this story seems like a typical teen romance, Cabot adds some mythical literary references, which will keep teens guessing.  The story of King Arthur has been told and retold for many years, but no one really knows the truth behind the legend.  Cabot’s story tries to enlighten her young readers and definitely adds a unique twist to the usual stories these readers enjoy.  The added mystery and action will be welcome to anyone who likes this type of tale and it is unlikely that anyone will guess how this story will end. 

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter

Published December 6, 2007 Mystery , RAC , Romance 2 Comments
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Genre:  Romance/Mystery

Age Level:  12 and up

# of pages:  236 p.

Other Books in the Series:  I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You

RAC Book:  Yes

Cammie Morgan is on her way back to Gallagher Academy for the second semester of her sophomore year.  At the Gallagher Academy, Cammie is required to learn multiple languages, defensive strategies, and covert operations since it is a school for spies.  Unfortunately, Cammie is still nursing a broken heart from the first semester when she befriended a local boy and was told to end the relationship when it was found out by her superiors.

Cammie has more on her mind than just Josh, however, as she notices some changes around her school.  She knows there is something the headmistress, her mother, isn’t telling her but never in her wildest dreams imagines what it could be.  That is until the day that a group of young men from another spy school move into her school!  If that weren’t bad enough, one of them is the boy who foiled one of her covert operations assignments.  Now this boy, Zach, won’t leave her alone and Cammie isn’t sure what she thinks of him.  Does she trust him?  Is there something he isn’t telling her?  As the semester pushes on, Cammie and her friends must investigate many different possibilities for why the boys are there while passing their courses and attending mandatory events, like a big ball.  Can Cammie save her school from a possible breach of security?  Can she figure out who her allies and her enemies are?  Is she cut out to be a spy after all? 

For fans of the first book in this series, this book will be a hit.  The adventures of Cammie and her friends are interesting and unusual to say the least, but are all described in ways that seem plausible.  There is a lot of room left open for future books since we still do not know what is planned for Cammie in the future and which boy she will end up with.  A fun read with some romance, humor, and mystery.

 

 

I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader by Kieran Scott

Published November 27, 2007 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 1 Comment
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Genre:   Realistic Fiction/Romance

Age Level:  12 and up

# of pages:  246

RAC Book:  Yes

Annisa is a new student at her high school and her first day does not begin well.  First, she discovers that she is literally the only brunette female in the entire school.  Second, she lives in a house that another girl’s family was evicted from for not paying taxes and she blames Annisa for some reason.  Third, she accidently breaks the nose of the most popular girl in school.  Later that night she also inadvertently witnesses two cheerleaders getting busted with alcohol, therefore removing them from the competition squad a mere two weeks before the big regional competition.

Still trying to fit in, Annisa decides to try out for one of the two open spots on the cheerleading team.  Even though several members of the team hate her for one reason or another she manages to get a spot.  Unfortunately, she makes a few mistakes and the rest of the squad starts to fall apart and everyone blames her.  She offers the suggestion of starting a prank war with the nearby school to work as a bonding activity.  The prank war lands her in more trouble than she could ever imagine.  Meanwhile, her neighbor, Daniel, is someone Annisa feels she could be very interested in but of course he is dating her most hated rival, Sage.  As time goes on, Sage shows her true colors and eventually loses Daniel.  The question is whether or not that means he is interested in Annisa.

This story is filled with ridiculous plots twists and the coincidences that teen movies are made of, but the voices of the characters are interesting and the plot moves at a good pace.  Some of the conflicts are worked out much too quickly, which is of course in time for the big cheerleading competition that is two weeks from Annisa’s first day of school.  The fast pace of the book is believable, however, because high school conflicts often start and end quickly.  Girls who like Meg Cabot books will enjoy this.

How to Be Popular by Meg Cabot

Published November 13, 2007 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  12 and up

# of pages:  288

RAC Book:  Yes

Steph Landry accidently spilled a drink on the most popular girl, Lauren, in sixth grade, and Lauren never let anyone forget it.  In fact, Steph Landry’s name has now morphed into an insult as she has gotten older.  For example, if someone trips someone else might yell, “Way to pull a Steph Landry!”  Steph does have two close friends, Becca and Jason, but she longs for the days when she wasn’t a joke. 

Steph’s grandfather has recently come into some money after selling some of his land so that a save-a-lot could be built.  Steph’s mother, a bookstore owner, is not happy about this since she believes it will drive out all other businesses and as a result has refused to go to her dad’s wedding to Kitty.  Kitty just happens to be Jason’s grandmother. 

Steph decides to take matters into her own hands when she finds an old book in Kitty’s attick called How to be Popular.  By following the book’s advice, Steph does start to get noticed more, but she also alienates her good friends and Lauren makes it her mission to get back at her for making her look bad in front of the other cool kids.  In the end, Steph is faced with a tough decision, but by facing it she also has to face her future as a high school student.  Who does she really want to be?  Who does she really want to be friends with?  How can she gain respect from her peers?  How important is her family to her? 

The voice in this book is interesting and many girls will be able to identify with Steph’s desire for popularity.  It is nice to see that she doesn’t become a mindless drone who will do anything the popular kids ask her to do, however.  The ending is a little bit cheesy, but Cabot fans always like their happy endings.  Popularity is an issue in almost any situation, but in high school it seems especially important.  This story does a nice job of putting it into perspective and showing that popularity isn’t everything and there is no formula for becoming happy with yourself.

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