A little to graphic for younger teens...

Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls

By: Lynn Weingarten

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Pages: 325

Published: 2015

Read: September

4 out of 5

I loved the suspense and roller coaster ride of this story. It is well deserving of the Teens' Top Ten nominee. The characters were interesting and well written. Weingarten really touched on the feelings and actions teens will take when put in difficult situations and the drastic decisions they will make. For what I didn't like - the novel was very graphic with LOTS of sex, drug use and the swearing was excessive. This didn't necessarily bother me as a reader, however as a YA librarian and my knowledge that 13 and 14 year olds will be reading this book is scary to me. Teens are already reading books way beyond their content comfort level and especially with this being a Teens' Top Ten nominee I know too many younger teens will read this.  It is hard to market only to the older teens and young adults.  

I have read better..

Con Academy

By: Joe Schreiber

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Pages: 240

Published: 2015

Read: August

3 out of 5

How many con artists can attend one prep school and not get caught? Well, quite a few at Connaughton...maybe it’s the name. Schreiber did a good job developing the characters and the plot was unique and interesting. The main plot was 2 students who discover each other conned their way into the exclusive prep school, but I felt everyone was a con. I did love the character, Gatsby (and her name!), she has the best personality and who wouldn’t love to grow up in a used book store. Although there was a share of twists I felt it was too contrived of a novel. 

not worthy of the Teens' Top Ten nomination

You and Me and Him

By: Kris Dinnison

Genre: YA LGBTQ

Pages: 288

Published: 2015

Read: July

2 out of 5

Pretty in Pink 2015?  The entire book reminded me of this great 1980’s movie, but that was its only good quality. There is a vintage record store with a gay (It IS 2015) owner, a poor employee and friend, and a love triangle. Of course, this love triangle included a gay guy, but he was still quirky. What I didn’t like…all the characters! The main character, Maggie, did nothing wrong but felt guilty about everything. Her gay best friend hated her because she liked the new kid (who wasn’t even gay). The new kid was a totally player…I didn’t understand why anyone would want him anyway. Everyone thought he was just friendly versus a totally jerk. Of course, in the end they lived happily ever after! Maybe I needed to be a teen girl to LOVE this book, but I felt it sucked.

I am done with Jenny Lawson...

Furiously Happy

By: Jennifer Lawson

Genre: Biography/humor

Pages: 329

Published: 2015

Audiobook: 7 cd’s (8 hours and 20 minutes)

Read: July

1 out of 5

This book was incredibly stupid. SO...why did I keep listening? In hopes it would get better – there are a lot of great reviews. Lawson’s stories were just plain stupid, not funny and completely exaggerated. These supposedly aren’t made up stories – it is marketed as a memoir- which makes it that much worse. I found that only 3 or 4 were believable and funny. Plus, she would go on long tangents that didn’t make sense at all. Even though not worth the 8 hours of listening, I did enjoy the very last chapter – although not funny or intended that way - hearing how her blog has helped people with their mental illness was inspiring…some people must get her humor just not me.  

Once a upon a Crime Family

Hold Me Like a Breath

By: Tiffany Schmidt

Genre: YA fantasy/Sci-Fi

Pages: 390

Published: 2015

Read: July

4 out of 5

Penelope’s family works in an illegal business – the selling of body parts. She has known this her entire life. Even in this business her family can’t save her from her disease – an autoimmune disorder that causes her to bruise A LOT. Then again, they can’t even save themselves. Schmidt writes an amazing roller coaster of a story that continues throughout as Penelope fights for her life not knowing who to trust. I can’t wait to read the next book in series. I am intrigued by the underlying storyline that her father insists that Penelope is essentially to the Family business. I hope that develops in the next book. Schmidt is well deserving of the TTT nomination. 

Not a good TTT nomination

The Game of Love and Death

By: Martha Brockenbrough

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Pages: 329

Published: 2015

Read: June

1 out of 5

The premise of this story sounds very interesting – Immortals, Love and Death, choose individuals to play a game and see if death occurs or they fall in love. However, the storyline quickly goes downhill. Love and Death have the ability to change into different characters at any given times which means there are a lot of characters to follow and makes it difficult to track. I also felt the game, even though short in length, did not have enough action to keep the reader’s attention. I wanted the game to have a more adventurous ride.  Not only did I not like this book, I am shocked that it was nominated for the Teens’ Top Ten this year. I read a lot of YA books published in 2015 that are way more deserving of the nomination. I hope that some of my teens will read this book, so I can hear their take.

Teens's Top Ten Nominee

Every Last Word

By: Tamara Ireland Stone

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Pages: 368

Published: 2015

Read: June

4 out of 5

This book is well deserving of a nomination for Teens’ Top Ten for 2015. Stone was very creative, but factual at the same time with a serious topic. I would have loved a secret place to hide in high school. I was never considered an outcast, but was definitely a quieter teen and what teenager couldn’t use an escape?  Sam is the kind of character you can’t help but feel for and want to befriend. This book would also lead to great discussions for book clubs, both for teens and adults. Mental illness is definitely a hot topic for YA fiction novels and can be redundant, but I feel Stone did thorough research and takes a different angle with this book. I would highly recommend reading the author notes at the end of book and maybe even before you start the book. If I had done that I would have read the book in a little different light. 

Best Read of 2016 (thus far)....

A Boy Made of Blocks

By: Keith Stuart

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pages: 400

Published: 2016

Read: June

5 out of 5

I wanted to read this book because I have a stepson with ADHD who is obsessed with Minecraft. I thought it may be a good book. Boy, was I wrong - It was an amazing book! A father has a difficult time understanding and communicating with his son, Sam, a 10 year old with autism. It's through the game, Minecraft, that Alex is able to enter his son's world and learn how Sam works. Not only is this book inspirational, but it also teaches us that not all video games are bad for children to play. While this is a fictional story, the author has his own autistic son, and it is evident that he writes not only with research, but also his own experiences. Anyone who has a child, works with someone, or knows someone with any type of learning disability MUST read this book! 

What a B....

Becoming Grandma

By: Lesley Stahl

Genre: Nonfiction/Autobiography

Pages: 288

Published: 2016

Read: May

1 out of 5


What I learned from this book - Stahl is an arrogant, nonrealistic, selfish women. Honestly, I only read about 50 pages I was so disgusted with her views I could not read any more. Stahl states to her daughter, " ...you're going to breast-feed? Really? [I think] we had to prove we could do our jobs as well as -and just like- the men. They didn't breast-feed; we didn't breast-feed." As her daughter first struggles to breast-feed and seeks out a lactation consultant, she states "Ha! I thought. Taylor is calm and centered because I used a bottle!" I am proud of her daughter for not listening to her mom and continued to breast-feed. Some of her other ideas were to hire a maid, nanny, AND a financial assistant to help organize and pay their personal finances so Taylor could go back to her career and life. These are just a sample of her views; I was so appalled by what she openly admitted in her book. To Stahl, I must say - every day Grandma's cannot take their grandchildren to an Easter egg hunt to the White House - that is when I gave up!

A Skinny Pact??

Wintergirls

By: Laurie Halse Anderson

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Pages: 278

Published: 2009

Read: March

4 out of 5

This was another great and important story by Anderson. She has the exceptional skill of writing on timeless relevant topics that ultimate can affect every teen themselves or someone they know.  Although some may find the competition aspect of the disease unrealistic, I believe it can happen. Besides the well know case of the pregnancy pact in Massachusetts, there have also been suicide pacts. A competition between friends to out-skinny each other isn’t so unrealistic. The one thing that bothered me was Lia’s little sister, Emma, she acted more like a 4 year old then a 9 year old. Although she was a very minor character in the scheme of things, it was annoying to me. 

Short Stories of the unwound teens

Unbound     

By: Neal Shusterman

Genre: YA Dystopian/ Short Stories

Pages: 320

Published: 2015

Read: March

3 out of 5

I was very excited to read this book. The Unwind Dystology was one of my favorite dystopian series. The short stories in this book are on the lives of the teens before they were unwound.  It was interesting to read their thoughts, actions and tricks before they were unwound or escaped the process.  Some of the stories weren't written by Shusterman, but by family members and friends. I was able to tell the difference and enjoyed the ones written by Shusterman much more. I was able to connect with the characters more in those stories and felt they were better written. Although this book wasn't up to the standards of the dystology, it is a must read if you loved the Unwind books as much as I did.      

Doesn't compare to his Alsaid's debut novel

Never Sometimes Always          

By: Adi Alsaid

Genre: YA realistic fiction

Pages: 320

Published: 2015

Read: March

2 out of 5

I experienced the opposite feeling with this book than I just did with my previous read, The Steep and Thorny Way.  I considered Alsaid’s Let’s Get Lost one of my favorite books and this one doesn’t even come close.  Maybe my expectations were too high, but either way I was disappointed. It started out with a good premise, but quickly came extremely unrealistic and very predictable.  Two best friends, Dave and Julia, who are mere weeks away from graduating high school set about completing a list of tasks they said they would NEVER do. Although some are funny, some just don’t make sense – building a tree house in the school yard large enough for several teens to sit OVERNIGHT; organizing a scavenger hunt in just a few hours with the ENTIRE school orchestra. The characters were one-dimensional and it bothered me that while

the parts of book were written by only one character’s view it was written in 3^rd person. I believe I would have connected with the characters more if written in first person.    

Cat Winter's does it again!!

The Steep and Thorny Way      

By: Cat Winters

Genre: YA historical fiction

Pages: 352

Published: 2016

Read: March

5 out of 5

I love when I find an author that continually writes amazing books. Cat Winters is one of them. In all three of her young adult novels, she grabs the reader immediately with her powerful writing and mysterious plots.  Taking place in Oregon during the 1920’s, The Steep and Thorny Way is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.  The main mystery is of the resurfacing of the ghost of Hank Denny, a black man, who desires to avenge his death, but that is not all. The KKK is active, mulattos and homosexuals are being chased out of town, and friends turn on each other.  Winters wrote yet another entertaining, intriguing and educational piece of work.

As a side note, she has written one adult novel, The Uninvited, in 2015. In my opinion, this book was not very good.  I am not sure what the difference was, but it definitely didn’t pique my interest or have the same twist and turns as her young adult books.

When reality can be terrifying

Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands

By: Chris Bohjalian

Genre: Adult fiction

Pages: 288  

Published: 2014

Read: February

3.5 out of 5

It took me a while to get into Emily's story. I originally started out listening to it, but the story wasn't holding my interest, so I switched to print. By the second half of story, After Cameron, I was sucked in and couldn't put down the book. It is scary how realistic this story can be - think of kids that lost parents in the Oklahoma bombing, September 11th, and all the school shootings.  Emily may have been terrified inside, but she was strong outside and did what she had to do in order to survive.  Bohjalian writes a powerful story that while depressing also shows the determination of one teenage girl. 

An YA Historical Fiction

The Hired Girl

By: Laura Amy Schlitz

Genre: Young adult fiction

Pages: 400

Published: 2015

Read: February

5 out of 5

In the year 1911, a 14 year old girl runs away after her mother dies because her father treats her like a servant. He won't give her a dime for her labor, allow her to go to school, or to own books. Joan, later known as 18 year old Janet, doesn't mind the work, but desires respect. Janet writes in her diary by candlelight after the long days’ work is complete. Her diary is similar to any teen girls in that she shares her hatred and love, however she includes her daily struggles as a servant and young girl without a mother to talk to. The entries are written with historical accuracy and language.  You will become engaged and sympathize with Joan by the end of her story.

An true inspiring story

Fish in a Tree

By: Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Pages: 288

Published: 2015

Read: February

5 out of 5

This realistic fiction book was based off the author’s own experience through her elementary and middle school years. It is a hopeful and amazing story all kids and adults alike should read, especially those that struggle with learning or parents of such learners.  It is inspiring to hear a child finally having a teacher that understood and took her under his wings to assist her. He not only taught her how to read with her dyslexia, but also her self-esteem.  Ever student needs a teacher that truly cares and encourages them to be the best they can be! I was grateful to have such a teacher myself even though it wasn’t until high school. He helped me more than words can say.

Middle schoolers and sex - not a good mix

Orbiting Jupiter

By: Gary D. Schmidt

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Pages: 192

Published: 2015

Read: February

3.5 out of 5

I have mixed feelings about this book. It is a well-written powerful story, but I feel that the characters should have been in high school and the book geared towards the older teens. I understand that middle schoolers may be sexually active and could possibly parent a child, however it is way more common for high school teens. However, maybe that was Schmidt’s point – too many adults don’t realize that teens are becoming sexually active at younger ages – authors need to write books to warn them on the difficulty’s they may face. Anyone who reads this book should be aware it is depressing and although it ends on a hopeful note there is a lot of tragic events throughout entire novel.  As a teen librarian, I am not sure to whom I recommend it.