BOOK REVIEW: Sunrise Over Fallujah

Birdy is a kid from Harlem who ended up enlisting in the military against his father's wishes. Now he's part of "Operation Iraqi Freedom." Along with other members of his unit, they are tasked with stabilizing Iraq and creating good relations with the Iraqi people. In a very unstable country with people who do not trust them, every time Birdy's unit is sent on a mission, they fear that it will be their last.

This fictional account of war brings some very realistic feelings and images to life. It's a very insightful story about what it feels like to be away from home, to have a new "family" with members of your unit and to have fight for something you're not sure you believe in.

Great "war" book.

BOOK REVIEW: Sarah's Key

Most people have heard of Auschwitz and know the Germans' role in Nazi movement, however the French involvement was much less known. Sarah's key is told from alternating perspectives - Sarah was a 10 year old girl who was captured and imprisoned in the Vel d'Hiv roundup in France in 1942... fearing for her life and the safety of her family, she locks her brother in a cupboard inside their home before the police arrest them, thinking she will be able to come back for him. Hers is a story of survival at the concentration camps.

Fast forward several decades to 2002, and you get the other perspective - an American journalist, Julia, living in France is asked to write a story about France's involvement with concentration camps and about the Vel d'Hiv round-up for the 50th anniversary. Reluctantly, knowing that this will be an unpopular story, Julia agrees. As she begins to discover and uncover more and more truths about the round-up, she finds an unexpected family connection to Sarah.

Each chapter alternates between Julia/2002 and Sarah/1942 and is truly captivating. At first I found myself wanting to skip Julia's part to learn more about Sarah, but eventually, Julia's story is so interesting that you want to skip Sarah's story to learn more about Julia. This is an excellent book... I couldn't put it down. While I typically am not drawn to historical fiction, I made myself read this one, and I'm so glad that I did.

Highly Recommended... One of my favorites.

BOOK REVIEW: Hereafter

Amelia knows nothing about herself except that she is dead. She drifts alone on the shores of river, not knowing how she died, where she is or even what her last name is. One night there is a car accident on the bridge over "her" river. As the driver of the car, Joshua drowns, Amelia has an overwhelming urge to save him. With no way to touch him, she can only will him to live. Through her persistence, Joshua is eventually brought to safety. Amazingly, Joshua seems to be able to see Amelia when no one else can. Joshua and Amelia quickly develop a deep relationship, but that relationship becomes threatened by Joshua's grandmother, who can also see spirits and mistakenly thinks Amelia is the spirit that haunts their river, and also by the actual evil-spirit who wants Amelia all to himself.

Can Joshua and Amelia fight the forces that threaten to keep them apart? Will they be able to figure out who Amelia is, and what happened to her before she's taken away?

This is a good book with an interesting story. Some parts may seem a little over the top - such as how quickly the relationship between Amelia and Joshua develops, but anyone who can overlook minor issues will definitely enjoy this book.

BOOK REVIEW: Dead Connection

Murray is a loner who loves nothing more than to go to the local cemetery and spend time with his "friends," the deceased. Murray can hear them, and he enjoys sitting with them and talking to them. All is well until the cemetery caretaker's daughter, Pearl, tries to befriend him, and at the same time, Murray begins to hear the voice of girl, Nikki, who has recently gone missing. Can Murray trust Pearl with his secret - that he can talk to dead people? Will Pearl believe him? And, can Murray piece the puzzle together and help Nikki's murderer be discovered without making a spectacle of his "ability"?

This story is told from multiple perspectives. Each chapter is the voice of one of the main characters. At times the perspectives complicate the story, and the amount of characters adds to the confusion, but those who are willing to stay with the book and read it quickly will enjoy it and not fall into too much confusion.

Overall, I liked the mystery element of the book, but it wasn't ALL that I hoped for... would definitely recommend it though.

BOOK REVIEW: Flip

Alex goes to sleep on a cold December night in South London; when he wakes up, it's June, and he is in North England. Looking in the mirror, he discovers that he no longer looks like himself. Going downstairs in a strange house, the family seems to recognize him, only they're calling him Flip (short for Phillip). Alex tries to find out what has happened, how he ended up in Flip's body and what has happened to his body and his family. Along the way, Alex meets new people, tries to deal with Flip's various friends and girlfriends, attempts to follow Flip's pattern of life and struggles to piece together what exactly has happened.

While their are some benefits to being Flip - he's popular, he's athletic, he has several girlfriends - Alex misses his family, and his own life. The risks Alex takes, the revelations about Alex's body and family and the struggle to be Flip, makes this a page-turner.

Recommended.

BOOK REVIEW: You Are Not Here

Annaleah is devasted... her boyfriend of three months has tragically died from an unknown heart condition during a basketball game. That would be bad enough, except that no one knew Annaleah was dating Brian. Brian went to a separate school, Annaleah had never met his parents and she didn't know his friends. Struggling to come to grips with his death, along with grieving over something no one knew about, Annaleah loses herself. She pulls away from family and friends and spends all of her time in the cemetery at Brian's grave. As summer wears on, and Annaleah starts to piece her life back together, she begins to learn things about Brian and their relationship that makes her realize it was far from perfect.

This novel-in-verse is a quick, captivating read. Readers will relate to Annaleah's grief and feel for her as she learns difficult truths about the boy she thought she loved.

Recommended.

BOOK REVIEW: Water for Elephants

Jacob Jankowski, a 90 year old, cranky, nursing home resident, reflects back on his life as a circus worker during the Great Depression. Jacob is the son of a vet, who was studying to follow in his fathers footsteps. After being orphaned by a car accident that took both of his parents lives, Jacob discovers that his parents were badly in debt from helping people during the difficult Great Depression era. Alone, broke and homeless, Jacob wanders aimlessly until he finds work with a traveling circus.

Jacob's relationship with the mistreated animals, poorly treated circus workers, the star of the marvelous equestrian act - Marlena, and the ill-tempered,circus director husband of Marlena, August, develops throughout the book. The story offers romance, friendship, murder, robbery, heroism, a fight to survive and a love of all living things.

I was reluctant to read this book just based on the title and summary alone because I typically am not drawn to historical fiction or anything really about circuses/animals... the story simply didn't interest me until I started reading it! It was such a great book - full of surprises and anticipation about what was going to happen next. It's one of those books where you feel like the character has no way out, and you wonder, "How will he ever be able to escape this?" The cruelties of August and other circus administrators is unfathomable. This story keeps you wondering until the end!

Highly recommended.

BOOK REVIEW: The Iron King

Meghan Chase has basically one friend at school, Robbie. Otherwise, she is virtually invisible. She lives in the country with her mom, little brother and step-father and leads an uncharmed life. She struggles with the loss of her dad who she saw disappear before her eyes when she was young. The day she turns sixteen, her entire life changes. Strange things begin to happen at home, a stranger begins to watch her from afar, and Robbie becomes overly protective. When Meghan's brother becomes a living terror, Meghan realizes that he's been kidnapped by the faerie world and replaced with a troll. Meghan must travel with Robbie, who isn't what he seems either, into Nevernever to try to save her brother and hopefully figure out what happened to her father. While in Nevernever, Meghan discovers a whole new world where nothing is what it seems. She discovers new truths about her friend Robbie, and she discovers that she may be the daughter of a faerie king.

Fast-paced read. Very good! Recommended.

BOOK REVIEW: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Mary lives in a world that consists of only her small town. Her town is surrounded by a fence that keeps out the Unconsecrated (i.e. zombies). The Unconsecrated seek to get to the living, and constantly try to breech the fence. Everyone accepts their presence and accepts their lives within the center of the Forest of Hands and Teeth, except Mary. Mary's mother always told her about before the Return, when there were no Unconsecrated, when they could freely travel outside of their towns. Mary's mother told her about the ocean, which Mary longs to see. When Mary's mom becomes infected by the Unconsecrated, Mary's life becomes a jumbled mess, which ultimately leads to the demise of her village. Mary and her loved ones struggle to survive and to determine if there is someplace outside the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

Some slow parts, but overall a good read. Pretty depressing though.

BOOK TRAILER: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

BOOK TRAILER: Impulse

BOOK REVIEW: Undone

Kori Kitzler, a dark, break the rules girl, and Serena Moore, an average girl, develop an unlikely friendship in a chance meeting in the school bathroom when Kori tells Serena they are more alike than she thinks. Kori is mysterious, always in trouble, a drug and alcohol user, a risk-taker, and sexually promiscuious. She's always pushing Serena to do more, and they become so close that Serena sort of takes on Kori's personality and looks. As an assignment in class, they are asked to create a list of their five ways to tempt fate. At first Serena doesn't take it very seriously, but when Kori leaves her, Serena feels compelled to complete Kori's ways to tempt fate and in the process discover truths about Kori she never knew existed.

Great book! Highly Recommended.

BOOK REVIEW: The Year We Disappeared

Told from alternating points of view, this true story about a cop who was targeted and shot in the face and lived to tell about it. It chronicles his fear, struggle to survive, effort to keep his family safe and need to bring justice to his attacker in a corrupt police force. His daughter details how, at nine years old, she was confused about what was happening in her family, scared of something happening to them, worried about her father, outcast by her friends and angry that her life was turned upside down.

Great non-fiction book that reads like fiction. Amazing that an attempted murder on a cop can be ignored by an entire police department. Recommended!

BOOK REVIEW: Evermore

Somehow Ever Bloom survived a horrific car crash that claimed the lives of her entire family. Before the crash, Ever was popular and outgoing; after the crash, Ever is reserved, quiet and dark. She's been sent to live with her wealthy aunt who has never had children. After the crash, Ever discovers that she has gained psychic abilities - she can hear thoughts, see auras and feel the future when she touches someone. Oh, and also she communicates regularly with her dead little sister. These abilities have further withdrawn Ever as it is physically painful for her to hear so many thoughts and see so many things all at once. When Damen walks into her life, things change. When she's with him, he brings a calm and she can't read his thoughts or see any aura. Ever must figure out what makes Damen different, how to let her little sister move on, how to save her friends and herself from Damen's jealous ex-girlfriend and how to heal herself.

This is the first book in The Immortals series. I know many people who LOVED this book, but to me it was cheap, not nearly as good, rip-off of Twilight. But, if you're up for some mindless reading with another paranormal romance, this is the book for you. It was entertaining, just not my favorite.

BOOK TRAILER: Impossible

BOOK TRAILER: I'd Tell You I Love You, but Then I'd Have to Kill You

BOOK TRAILER: I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President

BOOK TRAILER: Hunt for the Seventh

BOOK TRAILER: Hunger Games

BOOK TRAILER: Homeboyz

BOOK TRAILER: Heist Society

BOOK TRAILER: The Graveyard Book

BOOK TRAILER: Gentlemen

BOOK TRAILER: Forgive My Fins

BOOK TRAILER: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

BOOK TRAILER: For Keeps

BOOK TRAILER: The First Part Last

BOOK TRAILER: Evernight

BOOK TRAILER: Epitaph Road

BOOK TRAILER: Dope Sick

BOOK TRAILER: Donut Days

BOOK TRAILER: The Devouring

BOOK TRAILER: Crazy Beautiful

BOOK TRAILER: Crank

BOOK TRAILER: The Compound

Summary from Shelfari: When the United States is under nuclear attack the Yanakakisi family thinks they are lucky to have the Compound. Eli, Lexie, and Terese, along with their parents all make it into the underground shelter. Eddy, Eli’s twin, and their grandmother aren’t so lucky. It is six years later; Eli is now fifteen and still misses his twin. Things in the Compound have started to go wrong. The livestock has all died, the hydroponic lights are flickering, and supplies are dwindling all around, but Eli’s father thought of everything, he has a stockpile of Supplements to feed his family with, should the food run out. Bits of the truth of their situation begin to seep in when Eli discovers his twin’s never-used laptop and a mystifying internet connection near his father’s office. Eli successfully gets online and a curious series of events makes this a must-read book. The book undergoes a transformation from science fiction to a horrific psychological survival story in just a few pages.

BOOK TRAILER: Coffeehouse Angel

Summary from Shelfari: When Katrina spots a homeless guy sleeping in the alley behind her grandmother’s coffee shop, she decides to leave him a cup of coffee, a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans, and some pastries to tide him over. Little does she know that this random act of kindness is about to turn her life upside down. Because this adorable vagrant, Malcolm, is really a guardian angel on a break between missions. And he won’t leave until he can reward Katrina’s selflessness by fulfilling her deepest desire. Now if only she could decide what that might be . . .

BOOK TRAILER: The Chosen One

BOOK TRAILER: Candor

Summary from Shelfari: In the model community of Candor, Florida, every teen wants to be like Oscar Banks. The son of the town's founder, Oscar earns straight As, is student-body president, and is in demand for every club and cause. But Oscar has a secret. He knows that parents bring their teens to Candor to make them respectful, compliant–perfect–through subliminal Messages that carefully correct and control their behavior. And Oscar' s built a business sabotaging his father's scheme with Messages of his own, getting his clients out before they're turned. After all, who would ever suspect the perfect Oscar Banks? Then he meets Nia, the girl he can't stand to see changed. Saving Nia means losing her forever. Keeping her in Candor, Oscar risks exposure . . . and more.

BOOK TRAILER: Burned

Summary from Shelfari: Raised in a religious -- yet abusive -- family, a simple dream may not exactly be a sin, but it could be the first step toward hell and eternal damnation. This dream is the first step for Pattyn. But is it to hell, or to a better life? For the first time, Pattyn starts asking questions. Questions seemingly without answers -- about God, a woman's role, sex, and love -- mostly love. What is it? Where is it? Will she ever experience it? Is she deserving of it? It's with a real boy that Pattyn gets into real trouble. After Pattyn's father catches her in a compromising position, events spiral out of control, until Pattyn ends up suspended from school and sent to live with an aunt she's never met. Pattyn is supposed to find salvation and redemption during her exile to the wilds of rural Nevada. Yet what she finds instead is love and acceptance. And for the first time she feels worthy of both -- until she realizes her old demons will not let her go. In this riveting and masterful novel told in verse, Ellen Hopkins takes readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride. From the highs of true love to the lows of abuse, Pattyn's story will have readers engrossed until the very last word.

BOOK TRAILER: Bruiser

Summary from Shelfari: Tennyson, 16, is upset When his twin sister, Brontë, befriends their shy and withdrawn classmate Brewster “Bruiser” Rawlins. He is concerned that her relationship with this boy from the wrong side of the tracks will prove somehow dangerous. After he spies Bruiser changing in the locker room and notices that his back is covered in scars and welts, he becomes even more certain that the teen and his family are bad news. In spite of her brother's warnings, Brontë continues her relationship with Bruiser, drawing him closer to her family–and Tennyson–in the process. The twins begin to notice Bruiser's unusual talent: not only can he assume the physical pain and wounds of those he cares about, but he can also absorb their anger, hurt, and grief. Told from the three characters' alternating perspectives, with Brewster's rendered in poetic form, Shusterman's novel reveals its secrets and their implications slowly, allowing readers to connect the dots before the characters do and encouraging them to weigh the price of Bruiser's “gift” against the freedom from pain that Tennyson and Brontë enjoy.

BOOK TRAILER: Boost

BOOK TRAILER: Bonechiller

BOOK TRAILER: Be More Chill

Summary from Shelfari: Jeremy Heere is your average high school dork. Day after day, he dryly notes the small humiliations that come his way. Until the day he learns about the "squip," a pill-sized supercomputer that is guaranteed to bring you whatever you most desire in life. By instructing him on everything from what to wear to how to talk and walk, the squip transforms Jeremy from supergeek to superchic. Soon he is friends with his former tormentors and has the attention of the hottest girls in school. But Jeremy eventually finds out that there is also a dark side to having a computer inside your brain -- and it can lead to disastrous consequences. A Today Show Book Club selection, Be More Chill is an edgy and hilarious novel dealing candidly with serious issues facing teens today.

BOOK TRAILER: A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl

BOOK TRAILER: All the Lovely Bad Ones

BOOK TRAILER: All the Broken Pieces

BOOK TRAILER: Wicked Lovely

REVIEW: Not My Daugter

Susan Tate is the high school principal. She's worked hard to get where she is having been disowned by her parents when she was 17 because she turned up pregnant and not married. She has raised her daughter, Lily, mostly on her own with little help from Lily's father and no help from her parents. She has put herself through school and advanced rapidly in her career. All the while, she has tried to raise her daughter to act responsibly and make good choices which is why she is beyond shocked when Lily announces she's pregnant at 17, and not only that, but she has purposely gotten pregnant. Susan struggles to understand what has made her level-headed daughter make this choice, when news comes that two of Lily's best friends are pregnant as well. The term "pact" starts to be thrown around, and questions about Susan's parenting ability (as well as that of the other girl's mothers) comes into question. Along with her parenting ability, there are also questions about Susan's influence on the high school population and thus her job is in jeopardy. All the while Susan is struggling with trying to come to terms with Lily's pregnancy and the dreams she had for Lily and not treat Lily as Susan herself was treated by her parents.

A great book about friendship, family relationships, and small towns. Highly recommended.

REVIEW: Hush, Hush

Nora Grey and her best friend Vee are inseparable, so when their biology teacher seperates them and makes Nora partner with the new mysterious guy, Patch, they are both distraught. Nora is simply annoyed at the inconvience of not being with her best friend anymore, but then really becomes disturbed when Patch will not help with projects and eventually starts telling Nora intimate details about herself. She's shocked that he knows details about her that even her closest friends and her mother don't know. Intrigued, Nora sets out to find out more about Patch, and as she does, she finds that while she's somewhat afraid of him, she's also really attracted to him. The closer Nora gets to Patch, the more bizarre her life becomes with out of the ordinary occurances, the feeling of being watched and even near death experiences. Vee fears that Nora's life is endanger because of Patch, but Nora believes that Patch is her savior, not the one after her. Who is right? Is Patch trying to kill Nora or is someone else after her? Can Nora make rational decisions about Patch when she seems to be falling for him?

Awesome read.... quite a page turner, and there's soon to be a sequel!

REVIEW: Matched

Cassia, her brother Bram, her mother and father all live a happy, controlled life. They live in a world where their government controls everything from what they eat, to how much they eat, how many children they have, what type of work they do, when they die, what they wear and even who they marry.

Nearing her match ceremony at age 17, Cassia is excited to learn who she will be paired with to marry. It is something everyone awaits anxiously for. At her matching ceremony, she learns that she has been matched to her best friend since childhood, Xander. At first Cassia is excited - it's someone she knows which is rare, it's her best friend who she knows thoroughly and she already loves him. She is fully prepared to commit to him until she plugs in a card to learn more about him, and for a quick moment sees another face - the face of someone else she knows, but doesn't know much about, Ky. Confused as to how the government, who never messes up, screwed this up, and wondering if she was supposed to be matched to Ky and not Xander, Cassia struggles with what to do. As she's drawn more and more to Ky, she wonders if he wasn't supposed to be her true match, but the government tells her it's Xander who she should be with. Should Cassia go with the flow and stick with Xander who is familiar, or risk her life and her family to buck the system to be with the mysterious Ky?

A little slow to start, but overall a great book! There will be a sequel too!

REVIEW: What I Saw and How I Lied

Evie Spooner is a well-mannered, good girl who hasn't quite grown up despite being in high school. She longs for the adventure and kiss of a boy that her best friend has already experienced. She and her mother live with her step-father, Joe, and step-grandmother, Grandma Glad, and live a pretty boring life other than her mother and her both hating Grandma Glad. With her step-father just returning from World War II, Evie is hoping things will be less stressful with Grandma Glad. Then, Evie overhears several mysterious phone calls and conversations. Next thing she knows, Joe is swooping up her and her mother for a last minute vacation in Palm Beach Florida, even though Evie is supposed to start school soon.

Things get stranger as they arrive in Palm Beach - nothing is open on Palm Beach (it's not tourist season), they meet a couple at the hotel who quickly take to Joe and Evie's mom, Evie meets a much older man who is romantically interested in but who Joe despises for no apparent reason, and Evie begins to hear bickering from her parents which is completely out of the ordinary. Trying to piece together what is going on while also trying to seduce her new older friend, Evie ends up in the middle of a death mystery. Evie struggles to understand why the death happened, and if someone she loves was involved in the mysterious death.

Good book for historical fiction readers. I personally thought it was a good book, but nothing that I couldn't put down. Some will definitely love it though.

REVIEW: Deadly Little Secret

Camelia's life is normal for a high school student - she gets along with her parents, she has great friends, she has a hobby that she loves. Then Ben moves to town, and Camelia is drawn to him in a way that she can't explain from the moment she meets him. She literally feels electricity when he touches her. Camelia's friends begin to worry about Camelia's obsession with Ben, especially since the rumor is Ben killed his last girlfriend. Ben was never convicted, but he was so ridiculed at his former school that he had to move. Camelia begins to receive disturbing mail and gifts, sometimes with threats attached. She becomes scared, her friends begin to suspect Ben, Ben tells Camelia that he needs to protect her and Camelia is left not knowing who to trust or who could possibly want to harm her.

Great mystery, good story - little shallow dialogue, but overall great read!

REVIEW: All Unquiet Things

Carly Ribelli was murdered a year ago. Carly and Neily had been friends since Neily started at Brighton, an elite, private school. They were in the same advanced program, and they both enjoyed being on the sidelines instead of with the in crowd. Eventually Neily and Carly's relationship advanced into something more than friendship. Everything was progressing smoothly until Audrey, Carly's cousin, moved to town. Audrey became part of the in crowd and eventually pulled Carly into the in crowd too. Carly publicly humiliated Neily during their break-up, leaving him for the popular school drug dealer. A year after her death, Neily still has trouble dealing with it - he is still mad at her for her actions, he feels guilty because she called him several times the night of her death and he didn't answer, and something inside him believes that maybe there was more to the murder than the police found.

A year after Carly's death, Audrey finds herself in a completely different position than the year prior. Because her father was convicted of Carly's murder and her boyfriend broke up with her, she has been outcast from the in-crowd. After talking with her dad, Audrey does not believe he murdered Carly, and she is intent on proving it. She's needs Neily's help though, which will be more difficult to get because he partially blames her for Carly's abandonment of him and her death. Can Audrey convince Neily to work with her? Can they work through their differences to bring the real killer to light? Will they get hurt in the process?

A great murder mystery! The book is told from two alternating perspectives - Neily and Audrey. Highly Recommended.

REVIEW: Before I Die

Tessa is a 16 year old girl, living with cancer. With just months left to live, Tessa seeks out to fulfill her list of things to do before she dies. Her list is not typical and includes having sex, doing drugs and committing illegal acts to name a few. Meanwhile, she has to deal with her dad who is trying to do everything in his power to heal her and keep her safe, her brother who is trying to cope with her illness, her mother who abandoned the family long ago and her exotic best friend who is self-centered.

Tessa is at time unlikeable with her blatant disregard for her father's and others feelings, but she is a very real character. The things that Tessa experiences... from feelings about her illness, feelings about her mother, reactions her body makes to the cancer, etc.... are extremely realistic. I personally had trouble starting the book because Tessa is from London, and therefore the language in the book has that perspective which I find hard to read at times, but I'm glad I stuck with the book because there were some really great parts to the book. It even brought me to tears.

REVIEW: The Body Finder

Violet has a special ability to sense things that have been killed. She senses "echoes" around all things that have been murdered and on the guilty party... meaning she can't stand the family cat because she can sense all of the mice and other rodents he's killed. Violet discovered her ability at a young age when she found a dead girl buried in a shallow grave in the woods behind her house. Since then, Violet has really only sensed echoes of dead animals. Now in high school, Violet's life gets turned upside down when several local girls go missing, and Violet begins to find them. Knowing that they were murdered, and knowing that her special ability can help track down the killer, Violet decides to seek out the murderer with the help of her best friend, Jay. As Violet gets closer to the killer and begins putting herself in more danger, Jay becomes more protective. Violet begins to realize that maybe Jay's feelings are deeper than friendship. Can Violet find the killer before she becomes a victim herself? Is Jay falling for her?

This book is a suspenseful page-turner. Great book!

REVIEW: Living Dead Girl

Living Dead Girl is a disturbing book about a girl who was kidnapped at age ten from her school field trip. Five years later, we find the girl, "Alice," still living with her kidnapper under the false pretenses to outsiders that she is his daughter. Her kidnapper, Ray, has a thing for little girls - Alice isn't his first. He molests her, beats her, threatens her with her life and her family's life and starves her to keep her in true little girl shape. Alice has succumbed to this lifestyle and accepts that she may never leave it. She knows that the Alice before her was killed when she turned 15 and "grew up" too much for Ray. Ray has now started talking about finding a new girl - will Alice help find her replacement? Can she escape him? Is she too broken inside to ever have a life again?

Graphic, sad and unbelievably horrible - this one is a page turner. Highly recommended especially for those who like books about abuse.

REVIEW: Six Rules of Maybe

Scarlet's father left when she was three and her older sister has moved to the city to pursue her dreams, which leaves her at home with her mother. Scarlet and her mother get along well enough, even though Scarlet has always felt that her mother favored her older sister, Juliet. Scarlet occupies her time trying to help others - her older neighbors with computer problems, the old guy across the street who's lost his wife, the introverted girl in her class who draws disturbing sidewalk images and her best friend who takes without giving. Scarlet is content with her life, never wanting anything for herself until her sister, Juliet, shows up pregnant with a husband, Hayden, who is perfect in Scarlet's eyes. Scarlet develops a quick friendship with Hayden and begins to despise her sister who doesn't appreciate Hayden. Scarlet soon discovers that her feelings for Hayden are more than just friendship, she's fallen in love with him. As Scarlet tries to deal with her feelings for Hayden, all of her good deeds seem to have backfired on her, and her entire life falls to pieces. Scarlet discovers that maybe life isn't as simple as she thought, and maybe sometimes she needs to take instead of always giving.

Slow start to the book, but readers who are willing to stick with it won't be disappointed. There's romance, family relationship issues, jealousy issues, friend issues, an explosion - just about everything you could want in a book. Recommended.

REVIEW: The Amanda Project Invisible 1

Callie is part of the elite girls at her school, has a popular boyfriend and seems to have everything going for her. Secretly, she also has a friendship with a new arrival to their school, Amanda. Amanda is different from all of Callie's other friends; she is eccentric, interesting, daring, self-assured, and self aware. She challenges Callie and makes Callie really think about things. Amanda is known for standing up to people, not caring what others think and playing practical jokes. Callie doesn't know that Amanda has any other true friends besides herself until the day that Amanda plays the ultimate practical joke and implicates Callie, Hal (the dork boy who's suddenly grown up but is still an outcast) and Nia (an introverted, isolated goth girl). Callie can't figure out why Amanda would've included Hal and Nia, and she can't ask her because Amanda has disappeared. Can Callie get along with Hal and Nia long enough to figure out where Amanda has gone? Can they discover how she was able to befriend them all with none of them realizing it? Can they figure out what Amanda's secret messages mean? Will they ever see her again? And lastly, can Callie do all of this without her elite friends finding out and snubbing her?

This book plays out like a mystery, and there's more Amanda Project books to come. I enjoyed trying to figure out who Amanda was, and what exactly her motive was. Good book.

REVIEW: Dirty Little Secrets

Lucy has a secret that not even her closest friends know... her mother has a hoarding problem. It's gotten way out of hand, and there's nothing that anyone can do about it. Lucy's house is completely taken over by boxes, bags, garbage, old food containers, and much more. Her mother literally NEVER throws anything away, so it is as if she lives in a garbage bin. Lucy's two older siblings have now moved out, and so she is faced with this disgrace alone. Throughout the years she's avoided being discovered by never allowing friends over, waiting outside when they pick her up, and avoiding close relationships with boys... hoping to never be found out. She hopes that soon she'll be able to move out, and never have to let anyone know what she's endured for years... until the day that her mother dies, in the house, in the middle of the garbage. Lucy can't decide if she should risk her reputation and call 911 just to be on display for the world to see, or if she should take matters into her own hands. As she struggles with her decision, matters are complicated by the fact that she's falling for a boy. What will Lucy do?

A different take on family relationships and friendships, Dirty Little Secrets explores the obsessive complusiveness of hoarding. As Lucy struggles with her situation, she also struggles with defining her feelings for the mother she once had versus the mother that has shamed her.

Definitely worth a read.

REVIEW: A Night to Remember

A Night to Remember is a moment by moment true account of the events that occured during the sinking of the Titanic. It is touching in places - women leaving their husbands never to see them again, others choosing death with their families over life without them - and maddening at others - the captain and others ignoring the iceberg warnings, the nearby ship that didn't hear the Titanic's cry for help, the lifeboats that left half full. The horrific events of that night are told in vivid detail with first person accounts. It paints a true picture of what the passengers of the Titanic experienced that fateful night.

If you liked the movie, Titanic, you'll love this book. Recommended.

REVIEW: Last Night at the Chateau Marmont

Brooke and Julian have been married for five years. Brooke is a hard-working, dedicated nutrionist who holds two jobs to support her husband who is a struggling musician. Everything changes though when Julian gets discovered. Next thing they know, Julian is on the Leno show, they're staying at ritzy hotels, and they're partying with the elite. At first everything is exciting - it's what they've always dreamed of - until Julian gets so popular that the gossip magazines start tormenting them, publishing photos of them, questioning their marriage, and putting Brooke's career in jeopardy. With their marriage on the rocks and Brooke struggling to keep her job, she has to decide if this is the life she wants.

Great story of rags to riches to wondering if riches are all they're cracked up to be. Recommended!

REVIEW: Hate List

Valerie and her boyfriend, Nick, are social outcasts at their school. They deal with their mistreatment and being bullied by creating a "Hate List" with the names of all of the people who torment them. For Valerie the list is just an outlet for her feelings - for Nick it becomes a list of all the people he intends to kill. When Nick comes to school and begins to shoot the people on the list, Valerie tries to stop him and gets hit herself. Saddened by Nick's choice to shoot classmates and eventually commit suicide, Valerie's problems are just beginning as she is implicated in the murders for her part in the hate list. As Valerie struggles to clear her name and her conscience, she must also face going to school again with classmates who distrust and dislike her even more than before, and a family who is falling apart because of her actions and part in the school shooting. Can Valerie mend relationships with family and classmates, and can she recover from losing the only person she trusted?

Excellent book - highly recommended!

REVIEW: If I Stay

Seventeen year-old Mia has a perfect life - she has a loving family who she gets along with wonderfully, a great best friend, a caring boyfriend and a cello playing hobby that is taking her straight to Julliard after high school. All of that changes when, on a snow day break from school, her family has a horrific car wreck. Mia travels outside her body to see both of her parents deceased and as she frantically searches for her brother, an ambulance takes her away. Mia soon discovers that she's in a coma, and it's up to her whether she decides to go with her family to the other side or stay with her remaining relatives, best friend, boyfriend and love of the cello. What will Mia decide?

Great book! Highly Recommended.

REVIEW: The Everafter

Madison knows only one thing for sure, and that is that she is dead. Caught somewhere in between, Madison is confused about why she is in neither heaven nor hell. As she floats through nothingness, some items from her past start to appear. As she takes hold of the items, she's taken back to moments from her life. She discovers that all of the items she is discovering are things from her past that she had lost. When she travels back to her life, she begins to remember parts of her life, and she is able either watch her life or take part in it. If she takes part, she changes everything in her life. As she travels back to one part of her life, she discovers that there is another ghost there as well, and she discovers that the ghost is trying to communicate with her. Can Madison figure out who to communicate with others from beyond? Will she figure out how and why she died and finally be able to move on? A very different and compelling book. Recommended!

REVIEW: Cold Skin

A novel in verse, Cold Skin takes part in a coal mine town in Australia just after World War II. The sleepy town rarely has any action until a local high school girl gets murdered. The murder throws the whole town into a tailspin and a local family is at the center of it. Each section is told from a different point of view from various townspeople. The first half of the book was really hard to get through, but if you can make it to the murder mystery part, the book gets much better.

REVIEW: Hold Still

Caitlin's best and only friend Ingrid has committed suicide. In an effort to avoid any more pain, Caitlin has shut herself off from the world over the summer. As she struggles to come to terms with going back to high school without Ingrid, she takes comfort in knowing that their favorite art teacher, Ms. Delani, will be there to share her pain - until Ms. Delani completely shuns Caitlin. Confused by Ms. Delani's snub, Caitlin begins to sabotage her much beloved artwork. Just as Caitlin begins to find a new life without art/photography and without Ingrid, she discovers Ingrid's journal. As Caitlin begins to read the journal she discovers a darkside of Ingrid she never knew existed. Will the journal help Caitlin to better understand Ingrid, or will it force her to destroy all of her new found relationships? Will Caitlin ever understand what is wrong with Ms. Delani or will she be forced to give up art and photography forever?

A captivating read that deals with familial relationships, friendship, teacher-student relationships and romantic relationships. Highly Recommended.

REVIEW: One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies

Ruby lives with her mom on the east coast and has a nice quiet life which she enjoys with her best friend, Lizzie, and her boyfriend, Ray, until suddenly her mother dies. Forced to move across the country to live with her famous, estranged dad, Whip Logan, Ruby is utterly distraught. She misses her home, her friends and her boyfriend, and she completely rejects all attempts Whip makes to make her feel welcome. At her new school, she struggles to make friends and come to terms with her new living conditions. Slowly, through new acquaintances, Ruby learns more about her father and the terms of his estrangement. This novel in verse is a great quick read!

REIVEW: I Heart You, You Haunt Me AND Chasing Brooklyn

In I Heart You, You Haunt Me we find out that Ava's boyfriend, Jackson has died. Ava feels responsible for his death and is having a hard time coming to terms with losing him and moving on with her life. As she struggles to cope with losing Jackson, Jackson begins to visit Ava by leaving messages for her, playing songs for her and making his presence known throughout her house. After missing him for so long, Ava welcomes Jackson's presence back in her life, but is it too much? How can she move on when he's always around as a constant reminder of her other life? I Heart You, You Haunt Me is great novel in verse about teen love, love lost and how to cope with losing someone you love. Highly Recommended!

Chasing Brooklyn, by the same author, is another story about a girl named Brooklyn who lives in the same town as Ava and who also loses her boyfriend, Lucca. Shortly after Lucca's death, Lucca's best friend Gabe dies as well. Gabe begins to haunt Brooklyn's dreams. While Brooklyn struggles to fight off haunting images of Gabe, while wondering why Gabe visits but Lucca doesn't, Lucca begins to visit his brother Nico, warning Nico to help Brooklyn. Lucca's message disturbs Nico because he doesn't know how to help Brooklyn or what she's struggling with. The novel in verse alternates between Nico's voice and experiences and Brooklyns. It is another awesome story about teen love, lost love and coping with death. Highly Recommended!

REVIEW: Bad Girls Don't Die

Alexis, a high school student who is interested in photography, appears to have a fairly normal, conventional life until strange occurrences and dreams begin to make her question her sanity. Alexis begins to notice strange balls of green light around her house, random doors opening and shutting and strange behavior in her sister. Is it all in her imagination or is something possessing her little sister and turning her house into a dangerous haunted house?

Bad Girls Don't Die is a page-turner that will keep "scary story" fans interested until the conclusion.