'Heart with Joy' by Steve Cushman

Genre: YA but appeals to older adults
About the book (from author) :
In Heart With Joy, fifteen year old Julian Hale’s life is turned upside down when his mother suddenly moves from North Carolina to Florida under the pretense of running her parents’ motel and finishing the novel she has been writing for years.  While Julian has always been closer to his mother and wants to go with her, she tells him he has to stay with his father until the end of the school year. Six weeks after his mother leaves, Julian’s father decides to run a marathon.  Once Julian agrees to help him train, the two develop the sort of close relationship they’ve never had before.  Also, with the help of an elderly neighbor, who loves to spend her days bird-watching, Julian learns that the most important thing in life is to follow your heart.  And Julian’s heart leads him to a passion for cooking and a young cashier at the local grocery store even as his own parents drift apart.  By the end of the novel, Julian is forced to choose between staying with his father and going to live with his mother.

Heart With Joy is an uplifting coming of age novel about the importance of following your heart and trusting that it will take you where you need to go.


Why I wanted to read this book: I read a wonderful review of this book on Jan's blog, Eating Y.A. Books,and just knew that I wanted to get my hands on this one. A week later I received an email from the author asking if I would like to review a copy and I had to say yes. I love YA books where the main character is a young man...just not enough of those out there!!!
 
What worked for me:

• I absolutely adored Julian. This is a kid who came out of nowhere and just stole my heart. I wanted to protect him, feed him, shelter him, listen to him, and tuck him under my wing to keep him safe from hurt.
• I liked Julian's dad...at first though I wasn't so sure. he does come across as someone who doesn't have time for others. But as Julian gets to know his dad better, so does the reader. I understood him as a parent and rejoiced when he finally decided to let his son know who he really was as a person, not just as a parent. It's not often that an author highlights and delves into the complexities of a father/son relationship. I found this to be one of my favorite aspects of the story.
• I've known many women like Julian's mom. Those that think they need to get away from it all and find themselves. She didn't mean to break her husband and son's hearts, and even though I honestly felt that she didn't see any other options for herself at the moment, I'm still on the fence with how I feel about her.
• Julian's next door neighbor was an absolute godsend. She was exactly what Julian needed in his life and I love the relationship that developed between the two of them. Julian became a much wiser and more thoughtful young man under Mrs. Peters' gentle guidance.
• As Julian's cooking really blossoms so did my interest in each of the recipes he tried out on his dad. I felt like I could cook also...he inspired me to try something new each day in the new year! His growing love for cooking was beautiful to watch unfold.

Recommend?  YES! YES! YES! The story is all about communication and having real conversations with each other. Too many families are busy with life and nonsensical things. We've forgotten how to just be in the moment and relish the birds singing or to be really in the moment when a loved one is talking to us. Julian was able to make some "real" connections with people in this story and it touched something within me that has made me refocus my attention on my son's when they're talking to me. They deserve to have me there....really aware and fully alive. This is easily one of my favorite books of the year!

My Rating: 5/5


Thank you to Steve Cushman for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist. They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel.




© 2010, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

'Fallout' by Ellen Hopkins

Ellen Hopkins is the author of this YA book published in September 2010 .  It's about the conclusion of Kristina Snow's story which began in Crank. Kristina is addicted to crystal meth and during her long love affair with this drug she gives birth to five children. Fallout is the story of Hunter, Autumn, and Summer. It's gritty and real. Hopkins doesn't glamorize anything and depicts realistically what happens to the children of drug addicts. Overall I thought this was a very well-written book.  I liked getting to know these three young people and I feel that even though they didn't have a normal childhood and had to deal with problems that no child should have to endure, I still felt hopeful for them.  I didn't like Kristina. I was hoping that she would have grown up and put aside her selfish ways, but she disappointed me terribly. I also wish that the three sibling would have gotten together earlier in the story. I would have liked to read more of the family dynamics in regards to how they interacted with each other. I got this book from the publisher unexpectedly and was over the moon to read it early!  I would recommend this book to teens, fans of free verse, and anyone looking for a solid read. But do yourself a favor and start with Crank. This is one that should NOT be read out of order!!  I rated it 4/5
**Reviews Cruise Format by Lynne's Book Reviews

In honor of Banned Books Week, I would like to recognize Ellen Hopkins contribution to the YA genre. She's an amazing author who writes what kids want to read. They know that she will give them the real deal. They connect to her characters, because they've lived the story themselves. Hopkins continually faces censorship and the removal of her books from library shelves across the country. Stand up and let your voice be heard that CENSORSHIP is not acceptable and no one has the power to tell the reader what he/she can or can not read!

© 2010, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Review: By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead

Title: By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead
Author: Julie Anne Peters
Pages: 224
Published: January 5th 2010 by Hyperion Book CH
Genre: YA Fiction
Source: Public Library

Daelyn Rice is broken beyond repair, and after a string of botched suicide attempts, she's determined to get her death right. She starts visiting a website for "completers"- www.through-the-light.com. While she's on the site, Daelyn blogs about her life, uncovering a history of bullying that goes back to kindergarten. When she's not on the Web, Daelyn's at her private school, where she's known as the freak who doesn't talk.Then, a boy named Santana begins to sit with her after school while she's waiting to for her parents to pick her up. Even though she's made it clear that she wants to be left alone, Santana won't give up. And it's too late for Daelyn to be letting people into her life. Isn't it?- from Goodreads

At first I wasn't sure if I would like this book. The way that it starts out leaves you wondering what is going on....it takes a few chapters to realize that Daelyn can not talk...and that her parents will not leave her alone for any reason. Slowly the pieces start to fall into place and you realize (at least I did) what she had tried to do to herself that has caused her muteness. As a parent this book is a bit unnerving. I don't know if there really are websites out there for people who want to commit suicide, but I'm betting if you want to find it you can. The underlining cause of Daelyn's reason for trying to commit suicide is bullying. She was overweight from a young age and she experienced humiliation on all levels, from her peers, teachers, and strangers. As I read this book, I couldn't help but reflect on an incident that happened last week at my middle school. I like to walk the halls during passing time, when I noticed a young boy say something to a girl who has some "emotional problems." She then tried to kick him. He looked up, saw me, and instantly yelled, "She tried to kick me!." My response- "I saw you whisper something to her and I don't know what it was but you better zip your mouth!" Then I turned to the girl and told her that I'm sure what he said wasn't nice, but that she couldn't go around solving her problems by kicking others. The next day she came to the library with her English class. She picked out two new books that I had just ordered, Taking Action Against Bullying, and Frequently Asked Questions About Loneliness. I mentioned something to her about the bullying book and that I hoped it helped her to deal with that certain boy. And then she said something that quite literally blew me away and has since then haunted me......"He's not the only one Mrs. Taylor...there are a lot of them out there." And that is why this book and others that highlight bullying and the effects are important to read, no matter how uncomfortable they make us.                                                                                            Highly Recommended   

Review: Almost Perfect- Brian Katcher

Title: Almost Perfect
Author: Brian Katcher
Pages: 360
Genre: YA GLBT
Source: Library
Who Recommended Book to Me: This book was featured on Michelle's Bookshelf. Click here for her phenomenal review.

Logan Witherspoon recently discovered that his girlfriend of three years cheated on him. But things start to look up when a new student breezes through the halls of his small-town high school. Sage Hendricks befriends Logan at a time when he no longer trusts or believes in people. Sage has been homeschooled for a number of years and her parents have forbidden her to date anyone, but she won’t tell Logan why. One day, Logan acts on his growing feelings for Sage. Moments later, he wishes he never had. Sage finally discloses her big secret: she’s actually a boy. Enraged, frightened, and feeling betrayed, Logan lashes out at Sage and disowns her. But once Logan comes to terms with what happened, he reaches out to Sage in an attempt to understand her situation. But Logan has no idea how rocky the road back to friendship will be.



My Thoughts:

This book wounded my very soul. I am sitting here with tears in my eyes, trying not to break down and sob. Someone please explain to me why some people have to deal with so much hatred directed towards them just because of who they "are" as a human. Why do they have to worry that if their truth is told they may die because of it? I've always told my two boys that it never mattered to me whether they were gay, ( I never thought to include transgender) because I would love them no matter what. Now I realize, I truly realize, that a mother's love is NOT enough to help a person make it in this world. My eyes are open even wider as I come to grips with what anguish, self-hatred, disgust, depression, rejection, a person who is transgendered has to deal with in their daily lives. How every day they have to hide who they are. Can you even begin to imagine the loneliness this person experiences? This is an IMPORTANT book...a must read for any young person who is transgendered, for any person that loves a transgendered person. In my opinion, this is one of the best GLBT books that I have ever read...EVER!

Highly Recommended!
out of 5

Review: Skinned by Robin Wasserman

Title and Author of book: Skinned by Robin Wasserman
Fiction or non-fiction: YA Fiction
Genre: Science Fiction sort-of
Where did I get the book: My public Library
Challenges that this fulfilled: None-just trying to get my library pile under control.

Who recommended this book to me? I came upon this book while browsing the YA section at one of my library locations. I thought the cover looked pretty intriguing with all of the tattoo like drawings on the girl's body. After reading the inside cover the story sounded good, so I checked it out!

Summarize the plot but don't give away the ending!

Lia Kahn was perfect: rich, beautiful, popular -- until the accident that nearly killed her. Now she has been downloaded into a new body that only looks human. Lia will never feel pain again, she will never age, and she can't ever truly die. But she is also rejected by her friends, betrayed by her boyfriend, and alienated from her old life.

Forced to the fringes of society, Lia joins others like her. But they are looked at as freaks. They are hated...and feared. They are everything but human, and according to most people, this is the ultimate crime -- for which they must pay the ultimate price.

What did you like most about this book? I really enjoyed the character Lia and how she progressed throughout the book. She wakes up only to find out that she was in a horrific car accident and basically died. But because her parents have a lot of credit (money) they were able to download her brain, buy her a new artificial body and thus save her "life." But did they really save her life or make this new one unbearable? That's the question that is explored in this book.

What did you like least? I can't really say that there was anything that I didn't enjoy while reading this one. I thought the author made the teens pretty realistic and her future world is pretty amazing. Scary, but amazing. In the future you can just climb into your car, input where you want to go, buckle up and the car drives you to your destination!! So cool!! and think about all the reading you could get done!!

Have you read any other books by this author? I've never read Wasserman but this was book one in a planned series of three books, so I will be continuing on to find out how Lia decides to tackle her new face/body and the way her family and society really feel about her because she isn't HUMAN. She's really just a MACHINE!


What about the ending? Knowing that this was book one I was not upset about the ending at all.


If you read and enjoyed The Adoration of Jenna Fox then I know for a fact that you will like this series. This one takes Adoration to another level of what the future world may look like and what science may end up being able to do with the human mind. But once again, I find myself asking the question- Where does the soul reside? In the mind? Where? Can that be downloaded into a computer? Would you want to live inside an artificial body, even if you could basically live forever?


Other Reviews:

Karin Librarian
direct quote from review: "SKINNED by Robin Wasserman is a spell-binding, futuristic story filled with issues of medical ethics, family dynamics, and loss. If you enjoyed the Uglies trilogy by Scott Westerfeld, you’ll enjoy SKINNED."

Liv's Book Reviews
direct quote from review:"Being an avid fan of futuristic fiction, I couldn't denounce Skinned just because of it's unoriginality. And there were a few bright points for me. Lia's character was pretty good. She had really relatable thoughts and struggles and worries, so as she grew and found out more about herself and her new life, I felt more connected and drawn to her."




Great news!!!

The sequel to SKINNED is finally here!

CRASHED

No one to trust... everything to lose.

Before the accident, Lia Kahn was happy.

Before the accident, Lia Kahn was loved.

Before, Lia was a lot of things: Normal. Alive. Human.

Lia no longer lives in before.

Crashed is in stores Sept. 2009.

Review: Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart

Title and Author of book: Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart
Fiction or non-fiction: Fiction
Genre: YA- One of the Best Books Written This Year!
Where did I get the book: My public Library
Challenges that this fulfilled: YA Challenge
Who recommended this book to me?: Lenore and Amy



My Thoughts:

Beth Kephart is easily becoming a must-read author for me. Her newest book was such a pleasure to read. Katie is a girl that any parent would be blessed to have as their daughter. She is dealing with the loss of her mother which has left a huge hole in her life. I loved her dad. His work as someone who restores old art was very fascinating. I loved reading about what he felt was underneath all of the dirt as he worked at removing the layers little by little. Katie and her dad really tried their best to keep the lines of communication open ,but they both were reserved when it came to talking about the death of their parent/spouse. Katie dreams about her mother nightly and her dad has locked up their bedroom and sleeps on the couch. Worked into this storyline is a mystery that was fun to try to figure out with Katie and the oh-so glamorous librarian. The added bonus of a budding romance makes this story complete. Sounds like a very simple storyline, right? But it's not because Kephart has a magical way with words, she touches places deep in the heart. She doesn't do anything fancy, but instead she stays so true to the human condition and it shines throughout these pages. I feel blessed to have read this book and this is one that I stand on top of the rooftops shouting to the masses, "READ THIS BOOK, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!"


One of my favorite passages from the book:

I lost Mom until the parade moved on, wound itself away from the harbor and up into the crooked streets. I turned and saw her standing on the edge of things--too thin, I realize now, and frail, the wind caught up in her hair. She'd kept her secret the whole trip long. She stood in that strange, chilled mist, alone, alive , but knowing what would come. History is never absolute truth. It isn't just the thing that was. It's the thing that could have been.

p.210

Others who have read and reviewed this beautiful work of art:

Things Mean A Lot
Presenting Lenore
My Friend Amy
Bermuda Onion

Review: Along For the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Title and Author of book: Along For the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Fiction or non-fiction: Fiction
Genre: YA
Where did I get the book: My public Library
Challenges that this fulfilled: YA Challenge

Who recommended this book to me?: I've been reading Dessen forever, so when I heard she had a new book coming out I immediately put a request in for it.

Summarize the plot but don't give away the ending!

It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live. A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

What did you like most about this book? I really liked how Dessen showed that Auden's parents were actually very demanding and hard on Auden. She in return, puts all of that stress and expectance of greatness onto her own shoulders, where she starts to crumble from the sheer weight of it. I liked that the step-mom isn't an evil ogre, but actually a real person with issues and someone Auden feels like she can relate to a bit. I love how Auden grows and experiences more of the outside world. Actually hanging out with GIRLS!! and having fun. That was a great side of her that I really enjoyed.

What did you like least? Is it cliche' to say that I loved it all???? Well, I did!

Have you read any other books by this author? I've read every single Dessen book and enjoyed all of them. I'm always amazed at the stories she creates and how she makes me care about the characters. Nothing about her writing is contrived or far-fetched. She has a great insight to teens and most especially the girl psyche. She's one of my favorite YA authors ever and I highly recommend reading her books to anyone!!


What about the ending? Loved the ending. And I really thought the relationship between Auden and Eli rang true.

YA Review: Wings by Aprilynne Pike

WINGS is the first of four books about an ordinary girl named Laurel who discovers she is a faerie sent among humans to guard the gateway to Avalon. When Laurel is thrust into the midst of a centuries-old battle between faeries and trolls, she's torn between a human and a faerie love, as well as her loyalties to both worlds.

Author: Aprilynne Pike
Published: 2009
Genre: YA
Pages: 304






My Thoughts:
Just when I thought the whole genre of faeries had been beat to death, along comes Wings. To me this book is one of the most original takes on faeries that I have read in a long time. Include with that, a twist on Arthurian legend and this makes for a good start in a series of four books. I WANT to know what happens to Laurel and where the author will take us. If you thought you were burnt-out on the whole every- girl-is-a-faerie-but-she-just-didn't-know-it premise, then grab this one, because it's a FRESH look on this mystical creature!!

Read and Reviewed here:
J.Kaye's Book Blog
direct quote from review: "The last book to blow me out of the water like this was NEED by Carrie Jones."

Review:Death By Bikini by Linda Gerber

Death By Bikini
Author: Linda Gerber
Genre: YA
Published: 2008
Pages: 225
Description from Goodreads:
A fun, sexy, murder-mystery romance for all teen sleuths! Aphra Behn Connolly has the type of life most teenage girls envy. She lives on a remote tropical island and spends most of her time eavesdropping on the rich and famous. The problem is that her family’s resort allows few opportunities for her to make friends—much less to meet cute boys. So when a smoldering Seth Mulo arrives with his parents, she’s immediately drawn to him. Sure, he’s a little bit guarded, and sure his parents are rather cold, and okay he won’t say a word about his past, but their chemistry is undeniable. Then a famous rock star’s girlfriend turns up dead on the beach—strangled by her own bikini top—and alarm bells sound. Is it too great a coincidence that Seth’s family turned up just one day before a murder? As the plot thickens, Aphra finds that danger lurks behind even the most unexpected of faces.


My Thoughts:
This was a fun mystery that contained just the right mixture of teen angst, romance, and a great location with a mystery mixed in for entertainment. I read it in one sitting and found it to be a very enjoyable book, and even though I totally knew who the bad guy was, I still had a good time. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series...Death By Latte and Death By Denim,because I want to see what happens next with Aphra and Seth!! Plus, how can you pass up a book with such a cute cover?????

Reviewed Elsewhere:

The Story Siren
Direct quote from her review: " I enjoyed Aphra’s character and her fearlessness. I can’t wait to read more about her in Death by Latte!"

Presenting Lenore
Direct quote from her review: "This is a quick paced and satisfying teen mystery with some truly scary moments (a near drowning, claustrophobic moments in tight caves, and chases through the rain-soaked jungle at night), lots of intrigue and a dash of romance."

**Sidenote: I need to give credit to Robin of My Two Blessings from which I lifted the idea of posting snippets from other reviews!!!

Review: North of Beautiful

North of Beautiful
Author: Justin Chen Headley
Published: Feb 2009, Little, Brown Young Readers
Genre: YA
Pages: short of perfect 384


Synopsis from Goodreads:
Born with a port-wine stain birthmark covering her entire right cheek, Terra Rose Cooper is ready to leave her stifling, small Washington town where everyone knows her for her face. With her critical, reproachful father and an obese mother who turns to food to deflect her father's verbal attacks, home life for Terra isn't so great either. Fueled by her artistic desires, she plans to escape to an East Coast college, thinking this is her true path. When her father intercepts her acceptance letter, Terra is pushed off-course, and she is forced to confront her deepest insecurities.After an ironically fortuitous car accident, Terra meets Jacob, a handsome but odd goth Chinese boy who was adopted from China as a toddler. Jacob immediately understands Terra's battle with feeling different. When Terra's older brother invites her and her mother to visit him in Shanghai, Jacob and his mother also join them on their journey, where they all not only confront the truth about themselves, but also realize their own true beauty.


My Thoughts:

This book was absolutely a pure delight to read. I took my time and savored every single minute of it and really came to know Terra and love her as a young woman who just needs someone to believe in her. The characters are very well drawn in this novel and you will find yourself wanting to reach through the pages to slap her father, hug her mother, kiss Jacob, and to tell Terra that she is beautiful no matter what. My favorite part of the whole book is when Terra and her mother go to China. As I was reading the descriptions of this country, it came alive in my mind and left me with an urgent desire to visit this place before I die. I can recommend this book without any reservations to any reader out there....I'm positive that you will walk away from this experience with something to treasure.

Other great reviews:
Heather @ Book Addiction
Direct quote from her review: "Speaking of relationships, that is the other fabulous thing about North of Beautiful. What I usually love most about YA books are the relationships between the characters, both romantic and otherwise."

Presenting Lenore
Direct quote from her review: "At nearly 400 pages, North of Beautiful has the space to really explore topics such as the nature of beauty, the beauty of travel, sticking up for yourself, and trying to fit in when you stick out."

Book Review: Back Creek by Leslie Goetsch

Back Creek: A Novel
by Leslie Goetsch
Genre: YA
Published: Bancroft Press 2008
Pages: 226

Synopsis from Goodreads:
It's the summer of 1975. Eighteen-year-old Grace Barnett knows she should be preparing to leave for college in September. But a strange Memorial Day boating accident on the creek near her Virginia home she s the only witness to the apparent suicide kicks off a series of events that will define her family's future as well as her emerging view of life.







My Thoughts:

I truly loved every single word written in this brilliant coming-of-age story. The main character Grace is a person some of us book geeks can totally relate to.

High school wasn't of great interest to me: I was far more absorbed by the fiction I read than the fiction I lived.
p.11

How can you not connect with this young girl? She lives inside her two favorite novels, Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. They're the one constant in her life that she can depend on, that and Back Creek itself. Within this story is another character that you will grow to love and that is Back Creek. Even though this is a fictionalized sleepy town, you feel as if you've been there on your travels to the south and that it would be a place to welcome you home. Grace's life is tumultuous, not by her own doing, but rather by the sudden departure of her mother, the sudden reappearance of her wayward sister, and her father's alcoholic binges.

Remembering my berry-picking made me realize I was always trying to make peace through gifts--drawings I made, unusual shells I found on the shore, even a heron's feather. I guess I didn't know how else to respond to the tension I felt in the house. p.75

The writing in this novel is lyrical and somehow transports you back in time to 1975....to a place that you really don't want to leave when you've read the last page. Goetsch is a new author to me that I feel has so much promise. To me this book has mass appeal that goes beyond the YA target audience. I totally recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of southern fiction and just wants to read a good story.

As we followed the recipes her mother had followed and her mother before that, we talked in an abstract way. As the afternoon wore on
and Mother kept talking, I was listening to preserve the stories in mind. p.176

Other reviews of Back Creek:
Carrie at Books and Movies

**I would like to personally thank Harrison Demchick from Bancroft Press for contacting me to read and review this great story!!!

YA Review: Undercover by Beth Kephart

But playing Roxane made me feel uncomfortable. For there is Cyrano, writing letters to Roxane on behalf of the local pretty boy, and there is Roxane, buying every bit of it, hook,line, and sinker. Why can't she see that it is Cyrano's heart and head inside those letters? Why can't she tell how much he loves her? And what does this say about people in general, that they can't see what is standing before them? Beauty rules, every single time. Beauty is the password.
p.41

Undercover
Beth Kephart
Genre: YA
Published: 2007
Pages: 278 beautifully written prose

Short Synopsis: Like a modern day Cyrano de Bergerac, Elisa ghostwrites love notes for the boys in her school. But when Elisa falls for Theo Moses, things change fast.


My Thoughts:

This book is absolutely lovely. The words contained within these pages are poetic and I guess they're meant to be right? Because Elisa has a way with words, in fact, she hides behind the words that she writes. Kephart hit a home run with her first foray into YA fiction. There is so much going on underneath the facade of Elisa. She lets her guard down when she's writing for others and when she writes for herself. The poetry in this book is wonderful. At times in my life I've been intimidated by poetry, felt that I never quite got the gist of the author's meaning. Not so here. I was moved by the writing in this book so much that this book is going on my list of favorite YA books ever...!!! I'm so grateful to Lenore at Presenting Lenore for reviewing Undercover a while back. If I hadn't read that review I would've missed out on this gem. That makes me sad...this book was published in 2007, so why haven't I heard about it? And for that reason alone I'm so glad that I belong to a group of book lovers who are so passionate about what we read and are so willing to share it with others. Because without blogs some truly wonderful books may remain unread and we can't let that happen, can we? If you're new to the YA genre and are looking for a good first book then look no further......Undercover is one you should add to your list, I promise that you will not be disappointed!!

Guess what? Beth blogs!!! Beth Kephart Books

Other Reviews:
Presenting Lenore
My Friend Amy
Em's Bookshelf

Important Book- A Must Read for 2009! Willow by Julia Hoban

Willow
by Julia Hoban
Published: 2009
Genre: YA
352 painful, gritty, raw, and very real pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, sixteen year- old Willow’s parents died in a horrible car accident. Willow was driving. Now her older brother barely speaks to her, her new classmates know her as the killer orphan girl, and Willow is blocking the pain by secretly cutting herself. But when one boy —one sensitive, soulful boy—discovers Willow’s secret, it sparks an intense relationship that turns the “safe” world Willow has created for herself upside down.
Told in an extraordinary fresh voice, Willow is an unforgettable novel about one girl’s struggle to cope with tragedy, and one boy’s refusal to give up on her.



My Thoughts:

Willow is going to be one of those books that you will talk about for days, even weeks later, after you finish it. There's no sugar-coating or glossing over the harsh reality of Willow's destructive behavior. And I think that's why I was so drawn into the story. I couldn't for the life of me understand why someone would want to hurt themselves in order to feel better. Crazy huh? Hoban does this though, she make you, the read, understand what is going on with Willow and why she chooses self-mutilation as the way she deals with her feelings. I'm sure a lot of parents will shy away from the topic of this book. Some may even feel that their teen shouldn't read this because it might make them want to "cut" themselves. People, that's just plain silly!!! I had to fight to keep Cut by Patricia McCormick, on my middle school shelves. I fought for it because I know of students who do this behavior or have friends that engage in cutting. Reading about it does not make someone do those actions. Instead, it educates that person and helps them to understand that they need to find a different way to express their hurt, anger, and repressed feelings. Willow takes Cut to the next level and really gets into the psyche of a young person who is overwhelmed with guilt, grief, and other unspoken feelings. Yes, it is gritty and painful, but it is so important for you, the reader, to complete this journey with Willow. To see that in the end she does reach out for help, but to get there is hard, oh so hard. For me, this book will put a spotlight on a subject that no one really wants to acknowledge--CUTTING. This is the book that will be the turning point to starting conversations with other teens, teens talking to their parents, parents talking to their teens, and even teens reaching out to a trusted individual for help. To me, Willow will be ranked right up there with the classic, Speak, and ten years from now, we'll still be talking about it, passing along copies to someone, and heralding the brave writing that Julia Hoban has accomplished.

Interested in hearing from the author herself?

Come back tomorrow when I host a Q&A with Julia. I sent her 9 questions which she so graciously answered and I will highlight 5 of those questions on Saturday. Sunday I will feature the remaing 4 and because I BELIEVE in this book so much I'm buying a copy to offer as a giveaway.

Giveaway Rules:

• All comments from the 3 posts will be entered for the book drawing.
• I'm opening it up for international.
• Please just make sure that I have a way to contact you if you win!!
• If not, I'll draw again.
• Last day to enter will be Friday, June 5th at 10:00 pm est.

Other Reviews:
Presenting Lenore
Look at that Book

Review: The Chosen One and Giveaway

The Chosen One

"If I was going to kill the Prophet, " I say, not even keeping my voice low, "I'd do it in Africa."

Author: Carol Lynch Williams
Published: 2009 St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: YA
Pages: 213 heart-stopping, gripping, I couldn't put it down pages!!!!

Synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in an isolated community without questioning the fact that her father has three wives and she has twenty brothers and sisters. Or at least without questioning them much- if you don't count her secret visits to the Mobile Library on Wheels to read forbidden books, or her meetings with the boy she hopes to choose for herself instead of having a man chosen for her. But when the Prophet decrees that Kyra must marry her sixty-year-old uncle- who laready has six wives-Kyra must make a desperate choice in the face of violence and her own fears of losing her family.

My thoughts:
This book is a very compelling and haunting story of a young girl's struggle to make her own choices regarding who she will love and give her heart to. Kyra is a character that you will embrace from the very first moment you meet her. A year or so ago, there was a lot of public scrutiny in regards to a polygamist community that forced young girls to wed older members. Well, this book takes you right inside and gives you an upclose and very personal look at what some of these groups force their young girls to participate in. I was truly appalled at the thought of a 13-year-old girl being "given" to a 60-year-old man, just because the Prophet had a dream about their so-called blessed union. Kyra loves her family and only wants to please her father and mother, but deep down inside she truly knows that their way of life isn't normal. She loved to read and before the new Prophet took over everyone was allowed to have books. But that changed and the one thing that she took refuge in was stripped away from her. She has an intense crush on a teen boy, Joshua, a fellow Chosen One. They share a sweet and special love with each other. A first love that should be treasured but instead it is one they have to hide, because she's been spoken for and even though she's not married, it would be considered adultery. This book disturbed me on so many levels....books being forbidden to read by anyone except the Prophets and Elders.......pedophiles (I truly believe they are) preying on young prepubscent girls.......violence against women and children.....threatening death if the Prophet isn't obeyed.....being controlled and watched......if I was Kyra I would've ran to!! Not everyone in this story is a bad person. Kyra's parents were raised in this atmosphere, but they both sincerely seemed to love their children. They were just too afraid to go against the Prophet. Doing that could mean that the wives and children were given to other men, while her father would've been thrown out of the compound. Kyra also finds a friend and confidant in Patrick, the man who drives the Mobile Library. In the end, Kyra's spirit and determination will have you rooting for her and believing that she will come out of this ordeal as a true survivor. I highly recommend this book to any adult and to young teens 13+.......this would be an excellent book to read for a teen book club or even an adult one, for that matter. There is plenty to discuss!!! Here are some passages that caught my attention:

Prophet Childs would never let one of us check out books from a public library.
"We have our beliefs," he's said. "We have our God-given freedoms. And not one is going to take that away by brain-washing us with Satan's teachings."

Prophet Childs, as sharp as my Russian Olive thorns, has preached that a woman who dies pregnant or having babies, is a sinner.

Now Uncle Hyrum looks at me and smiles. He's won and he knows it. "God has given you to me, Kyra Leigh. You will do what He says. What the Prophet says. What I say."

"I take real excellent care of my wives," Uncle Hyrum says when we get to my front porch. He pulls me close to him. His arms are like steel rods. "I'm gentle with the new ones."

My face is bruised, one eye closing shut, both lips busted, split wide-open. I feel that with my tongue."The lesson of the kingdom," Uncle Hyrum says. He wipes his hand on a towel that one of the God Squad brought him. "Be glad it isn't worse, Miss Kyra."

This book was released May 12th, 2009, go out grab a copy and share it with someone else when you're done!!!


Other Reviews:
Booking Mama
Becky's Book Reviews
J. Kaye's Book Blog


I want to also thank Sarah Goldstein at St. Martin's Press for sending me an ARC of this wonderful book and in return I would like to give my copy away as a way to

Read it Forward -
a wonderful idea that has started with Marcia over at The Printed Page.

How to qualify for the Giveaway

• Just leave me a comment regarding my review. Make sure you also leave me an email address where I can contact you if you win.
  
• All readers are welcome to enter...international too!!!
  
• The giveaway will close on May 20th at 9:00 pm (est).

More YA Obsessive Reviews!!!

I've given myself just 1 hour to get this post done (because it's so nice outside!!) so I'm going to make it short and sweet. These next two books were absolutely FANTASTIC!!!!
So here they are:

If I Stay
Author: Gayle Forman
Published: 2009 Dutton Juvenile
Pages: 199
Genre: YA

Short blurb about book: In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen year- old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

My Thoughts:
This book quite simply put, is breathtakingly beautiful. I loved every single page and how the author went back and forth between Mia's past, so that you could see her life as it was, and the present, to what she would be waking up to. That is if she decides to wake-up. I've always believed that people in comas can sense others around them, can hear people talking to them, and I also believe in out-of-body experiences. Right around the time I finished this book, a co-worker's mother was on her death bed. She hung in there for two weeks while she was in the hospital, towards the end she said she wanted to GO HOME. She hadn't been inside her own home in almost a year. They took her home on a Thursday evening and she died Friday morning. I believe people can will themselves to die and will themselves to live. This book will touch you.......and make you look at the after-life with a different slant of light.

Other Reviews:
Presenting Lenore- I'm so glad that Lenore is out there in the blogging atmosphere because I would've missed out on this fantastic book if it weren't for her beautiful review....thank you Lenore!!
The Bookbind
A Patchwork of Books
The Story Siren


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Wintergirls
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Published: 2009 Viking Juvenile
Pages: 282
Genre: YA

Background:
Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend’s restless spirit.

My Thoughts:
What can I possibly say that hasn't already been written? Anderson has always been one of my favorite authors ever. I've loved and recommended every single one of her books. Why? Because she writes with an unflinching honesty that draws teens, children and adults to her words. Wintergirls is no different. It's dark, gritty, emotional, heartbreaking, and unfortunately all too REAL. There are no answers in this book, only the deepest, rawest emotional experience of Lia as she journeys through her own personal hell to learn how to live again, to learn how to WANT to live again. I have never flagged so many passages in one book and there are far too many to list. Click here to visit my other blog if you're interested in reading all the passages that struck me so hard. But I am going to leave you with one of my favorite:

I inscribe three lines, hush hush hush, into my skin. Ghosts trickle out.

p.61

If you have never read a Laurie Halse Anderson book then you must! It's just that simple...go find any of them....they're all great, but don't let another day go by without experiencing this truly gifted author.

Other reviews:
A Patchwork of Books
Book Addiction
Presenting Lenore
Devourer of Books
The Compulsive Reader
Stuff As Dreams Are Made On

Obsessed with YA- My thoughts on many books

Over the past couple of weeks I've read some fantastic YA books but never carved out any time to post them to my blog. So today I decided to do a mini-review for these wonderfully written gems.........

Perfect: A Novel
Author: Natasha Friend
Published: 2004
Genre: YA

Short Synopsis from Goodreads:
Isabelle Lee has a problem, and it's not just Ape Face, her sister, or group therapy for an eating disorder, or even that her father died and her mother is depressed and in denial.Caught in the orbit of popularity and appearances, Isabelle must navigate a world with mixed messages, false hopes, and potentially harmful turns, while coping with her own flailing family and emotions.

My thoughts:
This author does a great job of introducing harmful body image and eating disorders to the 12 year-old demographic and above. I have found that my middle-school students really like reading her books and we find a lot to talk about. I know of girls who at the early age of 10 don't eat lunch and think they're fat. Friend takes the reader into the life of Isabelle and shows the reader how through depriving herself of food, Isabelle thinks she's controlling a part of her life that she feels is totally out-of-control. The author does list quite a few resources for parents and girls who find this story a reflection of themselves.
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Wicked Lovely
Author: Melissa Marr
Published: 2007 by Harper Teen
Genre: YA/Fantasy/Fae/Faeries

Background info from Goodreads:
Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention. But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King, who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries. Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries. Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world.

My thoughts: This book for me was wickedly DELICIOUS!! I loved it. In fact, I loved it more than any of Holly Black's books....please don't kill me Black fans! This book was just the right mix of faerie, real-life, intrigue, and a little romance. I'm so happy that this is a trilogy because I really enjoyed Marr's writing and I wasn't ready to leave this world behind. I brought home the second book this week from the library!!! I have a lot of girls at school all in a tizzy because I've been gushing about this book constantly and my favorite thing to say about it is this:

After I read Wicked Lovely, I said to myself.....Edward who?
I'm officially in love with Keenan- the Summer King and
Seth, who is Aslinn's mortal boyfriend.

Keenan was staring at her, too intently for comfort. "I don't know why certain people shine for others. I don't know why you and not someone else." He gently pulled her forward and whispered, "But it's you I think of when I wake each morning. It's your face in my dreams."

He didn't move, he just stood there in the middle of the room, watching her. "You're what matters.""Hold me? if you still want to, I mean. She looked away."Everyday"- and then he was there, lifting her into his arms,holding her like she was fragile and precious- "I want to hold you every day. Nothing will ever change that."
- scene between Aslinn and Seth

Do you understand now? I'm swooning!!!!!
Read this!

Other Reviews:
The Written World
Books and NeedlePoint
Em's Bookshelf
A Striped Armchair
Unmainstream Mom Reads
Beth Fish Reads
Things Mean A Lot

Tomorrow I will post two more reviews of some of my all-time favorite YA books that I've read this year....Wintergirls and If I Stay.....hope to see you then!!