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) This is a different theme from what I usually read. It revolves around a homeless veteran, who, after serving 25 or so years in the British marines, comes back with terminal lung cancer and a worsening alcohol addiction. He has no resource for treatment. His best friend is also a street-dwelling addict. The Vet has made some selfish choices that he attempts to fix before he dies; unfortunately, most of them only end up making the situations worse. E.g. he's been absent for most of his son's life, but the son doesn't want to have anything to do with him now.
There's no real lesson to the story except that maybe if you try to screw someone over, you'll probably also get screwed over. Also, maybe, that there are rarely happy endings.
It's a depressing, disappointing, but seemingly honest and believable story. Though the beginning can be a bit tedious and confusing. The main character doesn't have the clearest perspective to read from since he's usually intoxicated.
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) There are a lot of certified "organizations" out there today that are actually forms of cults. This book writes about a particular religious one affecting a high school girl.
Dorry is a new girl at school and hasn't been successful at making friends in three weeks. Spontaneously, a girl invites her to eat with her group at lunch. She finds out they're all members of a "Fishers" church group. Before she knows it, she's being invited to weekly parties and receiving help from people she doesn't even know. She leaves for a 'retreat' with her friends, and is 'converted'.
She has to follow the rules of the Fishers, which are strict. Some include that she has to fast on Thanksgiving (since she's overweight) and has a quota of converts she must produce. She has to pray at least an hour a day and report to her "discipler" every night. Because of this, she loses the respect of her family, her friends, she loses her job, and her grades plummet. She becomes anorexic and hates herself. She eventually realizes the evil in this organization, and gets out; though she's pounded with harassment during the exiting process.
Later, she finds out the lies and scandal from the organization that she was previously blinded from.
It's a good lesson for young adults to never get wrapped up in anything that asks to have more control over your life than you.
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) This book, like the previous one I just read by a different author, spent way too much time on artsy writing and less on the story itself; both had depressing conclusions.
The main character is a very plain girl whose only gratification yet has been through running track. The problem with her life is just that: she's plain, middle, ordinary. It's also known that she can be easy, but supposedly only with shy, quiet boys.
This is until another track runner dies at her school, the same track runner who had been hitting on her just a few days before. The same day he died, a new, middle-eastern boy arrives in her math class. He is interested in her, and they start becoming more than friends. For the first time in her life, she gives her heart out to someone. After they make love for the first time, he starts distancing himself from her. It hurts her like hell, though she won't admit it. Time with him had even had her sacrificing her love for track. He finds someone new, and she stays home watching her father destroy another great relationship he had with a wonderful woman. The book ends with her gaining only a bit more confidence in herself, but even less confidence in men.
This is another horrible read for the romantics, or really any girl who hopes to one day be happily married.
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) This is a good book, no doubt about it. The only criticism I have is that it's just such a tragic narrative. It made me bawl afterwards. Some of the sequences of sad events seem almost unreal because of the never-ending drama; but at the same time, still very plausible.
The main character is a teenage girl named Pattyn Von Stratten. Her family is very strictly Mormon. Her mother is a baby maker (7 daughters) and her dad is a highly abusive alcoholic. Pattyn is a smart girl who questions her families ways, but being young, she runs into horrid mistakes during the process. So to solve this, her family sends her to her aunt's rural ranch to stay for the summer. There, she finds herself, but also creates even more trouble for her future. (It didn't have to be trouble, but you know the way this very catastrophic world works.) The book ends with an unsure conclusion where Pattyn is deciding between murder or suicide.
The writing in this book is good, though very unconventional. It's like every chapter is an art piece, or poem. I'd recommend it if you don't mind feeling completely hopeless about life for a while, otherwise choose something with a little more positive lesson. This basically expresses that going against the norm will bring some good, but mostly bad into one's life; at least that's the way it worked out for Pattyn.
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) So I had this book for a really long while, and tried to renew it the second time because I was dreading reading it. Turned out someone had it requested! So I was forced to read it if I was ever going to. I guess it's popular now that ABC is making a TV show out of it.
It's entertaining - full of non-stop suspense. It's like an exotic "24" (the TV show) for younger generations. I don't know what number this book is in the line.
There's tons of background that they continually fill you in on throughout the story, like most series books, but it starts out with the main character, Heaven, moving to Japan. It soon seems the place she is staying in is untrustworthy and dangerous - with much struggle, she escapes; of course her dreaded, also untrustworthy ex-boyfriend helps. Later, it turns out he was actually plotting against her the whole time too. She doesn't know where to turn, and tries to find her birth mother. (She was adopted of course!) She finds her and they fend off a big army of ninjas together and ride off with another guy from Heaven's past, Teddy. Why is everyone against her? Her father has ties to the Japanese mob and Heaven's famous for some reason not made clear in this book. Etc... It's crazy, a lot too crazy for me. But it's not boring.
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) This is one of the best books I've ever read. Not because it's jammed-packed with suspense and shock, though it is, but because it brings you into the eyes of a small, innocent, highly abused and traumatized child.
And it's a true story written by the child as an adult! Do not pass down the opportunity to read this book.
As I said, it follows the life of a boy suffering at the cruel hand and evil mind of his mother. He is forced to do everything dehumanizing and horrendous that you can imagine, including eating feces and being the family's slave. He is also denied everything that keeps him living; this includes sleep, food, and basic hygiene.
With late intervention by an outsider, this boy just survives, and comes out of this struggle with larger-than-life battle scars. He turns his experience around for good, and writes this book to help educate others. Child abuse is real, prevalent, and very serious. There are warning signs, and it is not to be taken lightly. This book is a testimony to that fact.
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) Caroline B. Cooney used to be my favorite author when I was younger. Her books are full of suspense, drama, and thrills. This is a little different from her usual work, but not by much.
This is a classic teen love story except for one unexpected twist: the boy Nicoletta (the main character) loves isn't really a boy at all. In fact, he's not even human. He's part of a curse placed on a cave long ago - he's now part of the cave and can only appear in human form in the sunlight. Otherwise, he's a big, moving piece of nature (dirt, plants, rocks, etc...)
Nonetheless, Nicoletta is hopelessly in love with him. She's never been in love before. And it's not like she doesn't have her options; the most desired boy in school desires her.
But their romance is difficult, for Nicoletta can rarely see him and when she does, she usually messes something up. Plus, she's having a very fake romance with that guy that everyone but her wants at school.
When Nicoletta brings her companions to the cave unknowingly, danger is imminent and tragedy is now destiny.
It's entertaining, but that's all. Not much substance, but very enticing.
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) This story takes place in Benevolence, Florida. The main character is a fifteen-year-old girl named Dove. She's grown up in Benevolence; here, her father owns a section of orange groves. Life is going good for Dove: she's forming her first love and exploring life's possibilities. But mysterious fires are breaking out, and Dove is just starting to become aware of the dangerous racial disparities surrounding her. Things are getting weird, and Dove's incessant curiosity gets the better of her.
Dove finds out what's up, but when she does, she wishes she didn't. Her friends are getting death threats, and she is shocked to learn of a long-kept secret murder[er]. It is soon evident that the KKK is involved, and the least likely people in her life are members.
Never in her life could she have even imagined this kind of thing to be prevalent in her little town.
But it is, and hits way too close to home. Her involvement becomes more than a quest for truth, but a protection of the values and people she holds dearly. This can have deadly consequences.
This reader explores an era of extremist racism through this terrific narrative. It's a great book for anyone interested in social inequality, or just deeper read.
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) This story surrounds a very unfortunate girl, (street name: "Maybe",) who is now living her life on the streets. Her previous circumstances involved daily abuse, including being 'ironed'. To top it off, Maybe has a skin condition called
vitiligo; it gives her patchy, almost spotty skin. (It's the same disease that Michael Jackson had.) However, maybe that's kind of a blessing for a young girl living in dark, dangerous alleyways.
Anyway, the story goes on to journey through ill-fated circumstances that occur within
Maybe's "tribe" of other street kids. Unrealistically, everyone but Maybe eventually dies. Well, actually one or two go back to their spoiled families, but the majority die.
I guess the purpose of this novel was to discourage runaways and to always seek and take help. That's good and all, but this came across a bit too preachy. I guess it's an okay read, but definitely not my preferred choice or something I'd recommend.
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) I timidly opened this book as I was not looking forward to delving into another mind-numbing vampire novel. However, this does not read as an average vampire tale. It would make a great Disney movie if given the chance.
The main characters are two identical twin teenagers who couldn't be more different. Their names are even opposing: Sunshine and
Rayne.
Rayne dresses
gothic, is frequently moody, and doesn't like much of anything that's not tinted with dark colors. Sunshine is your average preppy, goody girl that likes Dave Matthews, flip-flops, and plain tank tops. However, as sisters, the girls support each other and often accompany one another to events. So when
Rayne signs a contract to become an immortal vampire, it's a sad time when their identities are mistaken. Sunshine is then bitten by her new "blood mate" that was supposed to bite
Rayne, and things turn into a mess! Yes, the storyline speaks similarly to many vampire novels, but the creative writing and logical reasoning that is woven in is what sets it apart and makes the story interesting; whether you're a horror/sci-
fi connoisseur or a
bonified 'creepy-things' hater, this story is fun and intriguing. It's got action, suspense, and some definitely enticing romance. Not a bad read.
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) If you think that's a boy and a girl kissing on the cover of this book, think again. Your sexual stereotypes and innuendos are broken down, just a little, in this novella.
It starts out with a very straight girl who has grown up in a hippy-convent family. She doesn't discover her likeness for the same sex until she travels to New York to live with her coke-head sister for the summer. She starts babysitting for a rich, lesbian couple, and therefore runs into a 'friend' who becomes not only her first same-sex crush, but also her first love. Did I mention they both have adorable, escape-artist dogs?
It's not a complicated story by any means; but it's a cute, quick read of a first-time lesbian love tale.
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) Ashley seems like an all-around wholesome girl. She takes care of her very ill mother and doesn't go to parties or get involved with boys. But, as we all know, a girl has got to have her escape. Ashley has hers: at night she does astounding graffiti around her neighborhood. Most of her work is a juiced-up tag of her code name, Cindy. Nobody knows Ashley's secret night-time hobby except her best friend, Vikki. Of course, Vikki eventually blabs. Somehow the word gets out to the most notorious gang leader around, Eddie. Eddie soon takes an interest in Ashley; he recruits her as a pawn in his game where he plays the town's "ringmaster". However, Ashley's wholesome side gets to her - she won't have it. But Eddie's notorious for his dangerous friends and past 'fixes' in the town. Ashley's trying for the courageous, but hazardous route. How will it end?
I can't possibly describe this book as well as it is written. It doesn't seem as enticing in the beginning, but the alluring, suspenseful parts occur quickly after. It gives another outlook on the cult-ish/Nazi-ish formations that can occur around a central leader.
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) Jordan has the sob-story of an especially troubled teen: at thirteen he found his father after he had shot himself. Now three years later, at sixteen, he's managed to lose the majority of whatever friends or interests he had; his life has become somewhat meaningless. He is void of emotion and is indifferent to everything around him. But this changes when a neighbor with a smooth, show Corvette begins going out with his mom. Before Jordan knows it, he's beginning to seek thrills in illegal ways. With the consequences of this, he discovers that looking at the past is the only way to clear a path for the future. He also realizes that no, life isn't fair, but people do love, care, and try to do their best for one another.
It's an okay read that emphasizes the impact that trauma can play in a young person's life, and the importance of trust and love.
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) This follows a high school jock, Scott, who is obsessed with himself and baseball. Life is going fine until he finds out his best friend is gay; the same best friend that has just moved in with him after being kicked out of his own house. Scott doesn't know what to do or how to handle it. He's so homophobic that he wants to be tested for AIDs after touching some of his friend's blood. Much of the town is semi-homophobic, but there are a lot more homosexuals there than most people know. Scott soon finds this out, along with some things about himself. He also finally gets closure on his parents' divorce.
It's alright, nothing new or obviously original. Lots of baseball references. Nothing more than an 'okay' read. This author can do much better.
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) Chuck Palahniuk is one of my favorite authors. He wrote
Fight Club and other beloved novels. He's famous for his creative, over-the-top stories based on human instinct and desire. However, this book disappointed me greatly. I suppose the pressure from his fame may have got to him, but this book is a drudgery to get through unless you find dirty, grimy, cheap porn sets to be a turn-on. It's similar to the extreme erotic nature of
Choke, but with much less of a well-written story line and plot formation. Most of the readers' time is spent going through nausea-inducing details of desperate, disgusting, horny men and women.
The only thing I found even remotely interesting about this book was Palahniuk's interesting facts listed throughout. (Did you know Marilyn Monroe used to sit in a tub of ice before movie shoots in order to tighten her curves?!) However, the display of these facts was done horribly and ruined the character development.
The whole story here is set on a porn set where a porn star is trying to surpass the record of having sex with 599 guys in a row. One boy thinks he's the porn star's son that she is rumored to have given up for adoption at birth. The story had potential, but Palahniuk got sloppy - plain and simple.
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) What do you get when you combine a goth-phased, vampire-obsessed, teenage girl with a bored, diabetic, espresso-fiend? You get this Lucy chick. She's so smart she's even developed her own clever theory about the evolution of the legendary vampire myth. She believes 'vampires' developed from early age diabetics that existed before it was diagnosed as an illness. Her argument is very convincing.
She, in turn, is very convinced by a much, much older man she met on the internet who claims to be a "real" vampire. This is where the real struggle in the story is displayed.
Interesting, suspenseful, and horrifyingly easy to relate to. It's
incredibly creative and well-researched. Definitely worth checking out.
Excerpt from pg. 1 of Chapter 1: Blood; "Blood is my friend. Without it my cells shrivel. Without it I die. / At night, alone with myself, I hear it rushing through arteries and veins, platelets tumbling in a soup of plasma and glucose through slick, twisty tubes, lining up to enter narrow capillaries, delivering oxygen and fuel, seeking idle insulin. It is a low-pitched sound: wind passing through the woodlands. / I hear a higher pitched sound too: A demon dentist drilling, rising and falling but never stopping. It is the sound of my thoughts. / Alone, at night, with myself, the low sound and the high sound become music."
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) Action-packed and suspense-filled. Follows Francine, a girl who was the only one of her siblings to survive their mother's insanity. She is eighteen now, but still has first-person flashbacks of the trauma in her memory. The only people around Francine that know about her past are her adoptive parents, her best friend, and her new boyfriend. Soon, a suspicious but inviting letter arrives from her mother, (who currently lives in a mental institution.) Curiosity and desire for truth overwhelms Francine, so she and her boyfriend sneak off to visit her mother. It is there that more trauma, terror, and suspense ensues - though not how you'd expect.
The characters are very well developed even though the actual plot is very unrealistic. However, the portrayal of mental illness is very true to life.
An entertaining novel; would make a great movie.
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) The setting is in a city infested with gang violence. The main characters are two gang-member girls who are joined at the hip. They dance competitively at the night clubs and never fail to win. One night while walking back home, an opposing gang drive-by occurs that leaves one of the girls dead. The girl who dies, Ana, was also pregnant - but it wasn't her boyfriend's. From this scandal, twisted chaos ensues and leaves Kata (the second girl) questioning her own identity and worth.
It's alright, but a lot of it doesn't coincide with reality - at least in terms of normal gang behavior. However, I'm not a gang member myself, so I only go from outside sources to judge this. It does help educate the ignorant about this environment though. It's an okay read, but nothing special.
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) Follows a seventeen-year-old girl, Debbie, (AKA Tallulah,) who has run away from an overbearing home life to seek her friend that had also previously escaped to Florida. The issue is: her driver has robbed and ditched her. So she's destitute until a series of misfortunes, (and an act of kindness,) lands her a temporary stay in a generous woman's home and a job at the local veterinary clinic. From there on, it's non-stop soap opera drama. She even successfully resuscitates a near-dead baby. Wouldn't this make a great teen movie?
It's pretty crazy, and it gets even crazier as the sought Florida friend, (who, by the way, is also bipolar,) comes into the picture. It's a bit unrealistic in the trail of unfortunate events littered throughout, but very easy to relate to and definitely illustrates Tallulah's story of growth quite well.
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) Another perspective of institutionalization as told from the experience of the author. The setting is in an expensive, possibly private institution where many people are placed for psychological treatment.
It is based around an overweight, 16-year-old girl named Anna. Her parents place her in the institution (by surprise) due to her depression and mild panic attacks at school. Oddly enough, it helps, but seems to be most aided by the close-knit design of the patient community - not the hospital's methods of medicinal cures. While there, Anna loses weight, gains confidence, and even gets her first kiss.
It's an okay read; definitely interesting. Very modern and in tune with technology and music. It was published in 2007, thus making it easier to relate to.
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) This is a different theme from what I usually read. It revolves around a homeless veteran, who, after serving 25 or so years in the British marines, comes back with terminal lung cancer and a worsening alcohol addiction. He has no resource for treatment. His best friend is also a street-dwelling addict. The Vet has made some selfish choices that he attempts to fix before he dies; unfortunately, most of them only end up making the situations worse. E.g. he's been absent for most of his son's life, but the son doesn't want to have anything to do with him now.
