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Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Published July 18, 2011 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 5 Comments
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  323

RAC Book:  Yes

Melody has been groomed her entire life by her overzealous adoptive parents to be a desirable candidate for college, jobs, and everything in life.  They even predicted the potential of selling her fertility as soon as a deadly virus made it impossible for anyone over the age of 20 to procreate.  Melody received a very lucrative offer that included a signing bonus and college tuition, but her clients have taken almost two years to find her a mate to “bump” with.  Meanwhile, her twin sister, Harmony, has learned that her and Melody were separated at birth and wants to find her sister.  Harmony was taken in by those who follow the religious life and do not believe in “selling” babies.  She hopes to save Melody from her choices before it is too late.

This book is unique and memorable, which can be difficult in this genre.  The characters are interesting, but it’s the story that will grab readers’ attention.  This society is so well crafted and the conclusion that there are professional babymakers may sound crazy, but the media and propaganda in the book are so similar to ours that it makes it seem possible.  The ideas of religion and how it plays into such a society are handled nicely with no quick fixes or preaching, but merely questions for the reader and characters to think about.  The sanctity of life is also another overarching theme that many young readers do not take time to think about, but should.  The relationship between the twin sisters has some unbelievable moments, such as when Melody forgives Harmony for something a bit too easily.  However, the book sets up nicely for a sequel and readers will be dying to learn what happens to these characters.

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Published July 5, 2011 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 5 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.

Red Glass by Laura Resau

Published June 24, 2011 Adventure , Award Winners , Multicultural Fiction , RAC , Realistic Fiction 4 Comments
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Genre:  Multicultural Fiction

# of Pages: 275

RAC Book:  Yes

2011 Iowa Teen Award Winner

Sophie lives with her mother and stepfather and is known to be cautious.  Her family is surprised one night by a phone call from a local hospital.  The hospital had a small boy whose parents were killed crossing the border into the U.S.  The boy had Sophie’s stepdad’s business card in his pocket.  Although, they have no idea why the boy had the business card they felt it was up to them to take the boy home and care for him until they could find his extended family.  Pablo is slow to interact with the family, but eventually tells them his name.  They are able to contact his grandmother and tell her they will bring Pablo to visit over summer break.  Sophie knows that if Pablo chooses to stay in Mexico they will let him, but she does not want to lose her new found brother.  Sophie, her Aunt, her aunt’s boyfriend, and his son all accompany Pablo into Mexico to find his family, but along the way Sophie finds much more than that.

This story is a wealth of knowledge about life in Mexico and Central America. The characters are all true to their beliefs and find ways to help Sophie find her way in the world.  Sophie is a complex character who must face several hard truths in the story, but never fails to rise to the challenge.  Pablo reminds the reader of the innocent children who live in Mexico and South America and struggle due to the pressures of modern day economies and technology.  The book celebrates the life and customs of those who refuse to adapt to 21st century ways.  The story raises questions about how homogenized we have become as a global society yet at the same time how we ignore how people struggle in developing countries.  A very good read.

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.

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Published September 3, 2010 Fantasy , RAC , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction/Fantasy

# of Pages:  376

RAC Book:  No

Micah admits that she is a compulsive liar and would like to tell her story straight through with no lies.  Her boyfriend is found murdered in Central Park and several people suspect her involvement simply because she was his “secret” girlfriend.  She denies any knowledge of his murder and tries her best to avoid the stares and gossip.  She has difficulty getting along with her parents due to her lying and they want to send her upstate to live with relatives even though Micah is vehemently against this.  As the story goes on it becomes obvious that Micah has lied for so long that she has difficulty actually telling the straight truth, even when she wants to.  Can she ever set the record straight and tell what actually happened to her boyfriend?

While this book stays true to its title throughout the story, it does take a bizarre fantasy twist in the middle.  The twist will be liked by some, but disliked by many who thought the book was going to be more of a realistic fiction novel.  The ending is a bit quick and some teen readers may find it confusing or unsatisfying.  The story is interesting, but will leave many readers unsure about how they feel about it.

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.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Published February 4, 2010 RAC , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of pages:  345 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

2010 Iowa Teen Award Winner

Frankie Landau-Banks was always known as “bunny rabbit” to her family, but as she enters her sophomore year at Alabaster Academy she realizes that she wants to be known for more than just being adorable.  The most popular senior boy, Matthew, asks her out and she cannot resist dating him.  It begins to bother her that he expects her to be there whenever he asks but never feels bad canceling plans on her in order to be with his friends.  He also shows no interest in her clubs, classes, or friends.  He just wants her to be around and look pretty.  When she learns that he is a member of the secret all male society, the Bassets, she decides to become a member whether they like it or not.  She feels it is unfair and outdated to exclude women from a group where life long connections are formed that would positively impact future careers.  As she infiltrates the group she is surprised by how the group responds to her ideas without knowing they are coming from her.  She wonders if all of her efforts will be worth it in the end.

This book takes a while to set up the plot line with the Bassets, but once it does the story takes off.  The writing style is very sophisticated and can encourage students to think about traditions, unwritten rules, and even grammar that everyone just accepts and never questions.  There are many instances in our lives in which we come across some of these expectations and we often adhere to these rules without thinking about the choices we are making.  Frankie asks people to stand up for ideas and procedures that need to be updated.  This is something all of us could think about.

Waiting for you by Susane Colasanti

Published November 23, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction/Romance

# of Pages:  322 p.

RAC:  Yes

Marisa and Sterling are two best friends who are determined to begin this new school year right.  They set goals for making friends, getting boyfriends, and succeeding in school.  Marisa is a little apprehensive about this year because the previous year she was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and depression.  She feels she has recovered, but always worries those lonely feelings will come back.  She also desperately wants to date Derek, the popular boy in school, which is why she shuns the romantic advances of her male best friend, Nash.  To top everything off, Marisa learns her parents are going to get divorced.  Basically, nothing goes exactly as she and Sterling planned and Marisa wonders if she can handle so many unexpected obstacles in her life.  The only person who seems able to understand her is this mystery DJ Dirty Dirk,  who broadcasts an anonymous show every night.  Will she be strong enough to ask for help if she needs it?

Marisa’s difficulty with depression is handled very accurately in this story as she struggles to make it day to day without feeling hopeless and alone.  Even though she knows she has a lot to be grateful for, she can’t seem to make herself feel that way on her own.  Jealousy, anger, and confusion are all a part of Marisa’s life, which most teenagers can probably relate to.  As she tries to make sense of those around her she realizes that she does not have to have all of the answers at once, but just needs to keep trying to reach her goals.  Fans of Sarah Dessen will enjoy this one.

GoldenGirl by Micol Ostow

Published November 10, 2009 Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
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goldengirl

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  193

RAC List: No

Bradford Prep is a rich prep school in Philadelphia where Madison, Paige, and Spencer all attend.  When a new student, Regan, begins attending the prep school tensions rise due to the fact that Paige takes an immediate dislike to the new girl.  Madison and Spencer like Regan right away and cannot understand why Paige has such an issue with her.  Spencer feels especially taken by Regan after Regan catches her in a compromising position with her ex-boyfriend and does not tell one person the juiciest gossip in the school.  Once it becomes clear that Paige is not above sabotage, Madison and Spencer quickly learn that Regan and Paige have  a sordid past.  Who should they believe about what actually happened in that past?

Fans of the Gossip Girl series will love this series as well.  The book goes into detail on fashion, trendy hot spots, and of course teen drinking and partying.  Although the book’s plot develops and strengthens over the course of the story, there is still a lot of fluff to this book.  Teens looking for a light teen drama will enjoy it, but anyone looking for more substance should keep looking.

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!

To Be Mona by Kelly Easton

Published October 13, 2009 Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
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mona

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 15 and up

# of Pages: 218

RAC Book: No

Sage Priestly wants to be just like the most popular girl in school, Mona. She wants to be her so bad that she highlights her hair, loses weight on a crash diet, and throws out all of her black clothes and starts wearing pastel colors. The problem is that her mother has undiagnosed bi-polar disorder and cannot be depended on to get a job, buy groceries, or do any motherly duties. Her best friend, Vern, lives next door and tries to take care of her, but does not like the new changes she has made. Despite his efforts to become more than friends, Sage does not want to date him. Worse yet, she decides to date the high school jock who forbids her to see Vern. As Sage tries to deal with her mother spiraling out of control, the abandonment issues of her father, and completely changing her life, she starts to wonder if she really wants to be Mona at all or if she is happy being Sage.

This story has a good message to share with young readers, but takes a slow path to get there. The book has a few characters who do not seem to ever fully develop and one character that uses some very derogatory language which may offend some young readers. The ending is a little abrupt and it is unclear how Sage’s life will continue from this point. Mona’s character is not at all what most readers will expect and is a nice surprise in an otherwise fairly predictable book.

Confessions of a Serial Kisser by Wendelin Van Draanen

Published February 10, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction 3 Comments
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  13 and up

# of Pages:  294 p.

RAC Book:  yes

Evangeline is going through a difficult time as her parents have recently separated due to her father’s infidelity and she cannot bring herself to even look at him let alone talk to him.  Her best friend, Adrienne, is very supportive but is also very involved at school and is therefore not around as much as Evangeline would like.  After reading one of her mom’s romance novels Evangeline decides that what she needs is a true “crimson kiss.”  In order to find her perfect kiss she begins going around kissing random people and soon gets a reputation.  As rumors swirl about her she must decide what it is she is really looking for and how she can center herself before spinning completely out of control and losing everyone she cares about.

This story is about a girl who is struggling with her parents’ separation and finds herself trying to look for things in life that she thinks she wants.  In the end, she discovers that she does not even really know what she wants and she must face some of the difficult situations she has been trying so desperately to avoid.  The main situation being that she refuses to speak with her father even after his repeated attempts to communicate.  The story is entertaining and will be popular with teenage girls.

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.

Sofi Mendoza’s Guide to Getting Lost in Mexico by Malin Alegria

Published September 18, 2008 Multicultural Fiction , RAC , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
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Genre: Realistic Fiction/Multicultural

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 276 p.

RAC Book: yes

Sofi Mendoza was born in Mexico, but moved with her parents to the U.S. when she was three. She can’t speak Spanish and knows very little about Mexican culture. Her parents are okay that she is “American” because they came to the U.S. to get her better opportunities. Despite the fact that her parents denied her permission to go to a party in Tijuana, Sofi decides to go anyway because she wants to hang out with a boy. Things do not go as planned and on the way back into California Sofi is told her green card is fake and she must stay in Mexico.

Luckily, Sofi has an aunt nearby, but she finds life in Mexico very difficult and different from what she’s used to. There is limited electricity and running water, little access to phone and internet, and bugs everywhere. As Sofi begins to realize how serious her situation is she is forced to learn more about her Mexican heritage and family.

This story touches on many timely issues such as citizenship and illegal immigrants. Sofi behaved as a typical American teen in many ways, but was shocked to see the poverty in Mexico and realized how much she takes for granted. Sofi’s story forces the reader to think about what it would be like to be in the situation many Mexicans face, which is the choice between poverty and ill-education or trying to make it in a country that does not want you. This story was entertaining as well as informative about this topic, despite the fact that Sofi often gets very lucky at getting out of tough or even dangerous situations, and many readers will come to care about Sofi and her family. A good read.

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.

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