A Killing Frost by John Marsden

This is the third installment of the saga begun in Tomorrow, When the War Began and continued in The Dead of Night. Six months have passed since an invading army attacked Australia. Ellie and her band of teenage guerrilla fighters are rapidly becoming harder, more jaded, and less inhibited. Their plan this time is to destroy the port at Cobbler's Bay, a strategic harbor for the enemy. Throughout most of the book, the young fighters outwit the bad guys and manage to keep just one step ahead of them. However, they are captured and taken to a maximum-security prison. There they are certain to be sentenced to death for their activities. This book's main intention, aside from great storytelling, is to show that war is not neat and tidy. As in the other titles, Marsden poses several questions about right and wrong, the nature of evil, and what human beings are capable of enduring under extreme circumstances.

The Dead by Charlie Higson

Jack and Ed, best friends, are the main focus of the book, as two radically different leaders. Jack, formerly shy and self-conscious, is now a headstrong fighter, eager to kill the `sickos' when they attack. Ed, previously popular and confident, is traumatized by the violence and unable to fight. He learns to lead in other ways, but can't help feeling like he is losing Jack's respect. The real treat however, is the vast host of secondary characters. From Bam, a gung-ho jock, to DogNut, a crazy but tough fighter, Higson gives them each a distinct personality and purpose. Higson doesn't treat the band of 14 and 15 year olds as young children, either. They make smart and sometimes not so smart decisions and they don't descend into chaos like the children in Lord of the Flies. In addition, because his characters are so capable, Higson rarely resorts to the type of dues ex machina so often found in zombie fiction, like the serendipitous cache of guns and food or a convenient salvation from another group as the zombies close in. Consider a situation when the party finds a museum full of guns, but no ammo. In their typical resourceful style, the kids attach bayonets or use the guns as clubs, rather than throwing them away as if they are useless. Keeping with zombie tradition, the ruthless undead don't discriminate between your favorite character and the one you hate the most. The death count is high, the violence intense, and the suspense tight enough to keep you up at night. While the epilogue occurs a whole year later, most of the book takes place in a few frantic days. The characters are always in motion physically and emotionally. Bottom line: This is one of the best zombie books ever written, extremely fast-paced, occasionally funny, and always smart. It doesn't stoop to quick fixes or cheap scares, has well drawn characters, and is a perfect example of how resourceful kids can be after tragedy.

The Dead of Night by John Marsden

Marsden picks up right where Tomorrow, When the War Began left off. A few months have passed since Ellie and six of her friends returned from a camping trip deep in the Australian outback to find their country invaded by an unidentified, non-English-speaking nation. This book opens with a brief recounting of what happened in the previous novel; two members of the group, Corrie and Kevin, are still missing. Homer, a self-appointed leader, rallies the others together to track them down. They discover that Kevin has been imprisoned, and Corrie is alive, but in a coma. The teens continue their guerrilla activities, hoping to get a chance to rescue Kevin. As in the previous book, Ellie narrates and keeps a written record of the group's activities and experiences. These realistically depicted human conflicts make the book much more than just an exciting apocalyptic adventure. In the end, only five members of the original seven remain with the group, but they are still committed to fighting the enemy. Hope is alive. Although this sequel can stand on its own, readers of Tomorrow will find it far more satisfying.

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

In this dystopian thriller set in London, everyone over 16 is dead or diseased, and kids are in constant danger of being eaten by boil-infested grown-ups who roam the streets like zombies looking for children to kill. Led by teens Arran and Maxie and armed with makeshift weapons, a group of kids sets out from the uncertain safety of an abandoned supermarket to travel to Buckingham Palace, where a young messenger promises that food, medicine, and a safe haven are available. One youngster selfishly decides to stay behind with a secret stash of food and is there to tell Small Sam, who had been abducted and feared dead, where the others (including his sister, Ella) have headed. Sam's quest to find Ella parallels the story of the large group with similar run-ins with marauding adults and mistrustful children who scavenge about the city. The bleak setting is filled with decay, danger, and puss-oozing parents who have turned into butchers. On arriving at Buckingham Palace, Maxie decides that David, the teen leader there, is too tyrannical, and she must regain control of her brood (with the help of a rival gang's leader, Blue) and convince them to leave for a new location.

Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden

This series has been one of my favorites for a long time and I finally found it at the bookstore. I was so excited, I almost started dancing right in the middle of the store. Anyway, Australian teenager Ellie and six of her friends (Homer, Corrie, Kevin, Fi, Lee, and Robyn) return from a winter break camping trip to find their homes burned or deserted, their families imprisoned, and their country occupied by a foreign military force. As their shock wears off, the seven decide they must stick together if they are to survive. After a life-threatening skirmish with the occupiers, the teens retreat to their isolated campsite in the bush country and make plans to fight a guerilla war against the invaders. Writing in a distinct voice and showing intelligence and sensitivity, Ellie recounts their courageous battles against the Goliath in control of their land. She also records her feelings and observations about the romantic partnerships that develop within her small circle of friends, and shows how they mature and blossom during this time of crisis. Though readers are left wondering whether these heroes and heroines will survive, Ellie's honest and clear narration makes this coming-of-age adventure a story they won't forget.

Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti

When her semi-wealthy stepfather passed away, Noelle and her mother had to move to a small apartment and cut down on the luxuries they'd previously been used to. Living in a wealthy area, this made life hard for Noelle at school - where fitting in is the key to surviving high school. The students, most coming from the same wealthy area, are snobby and cliquish. The people who don't fit into this mold are harassed. Noelle's home life is just as bad. Her mother treats her horribly, neglects to buy her the things she needs, and Noelle has to scrounge around for her lunch every day so she won't starve. Noelle is just trying to survive the last couple of days until summer comes. When the bullying of one of her friends goes to far, Noelle decides to try to fix things. With her newfound love Julian at her side, she decides to take on the bullies and try to change things at her school.

Divergent by Veronica Ross

This book is amazing and extremely exciting. We first get to know the lifestyle of Beatrice, a sixteen year old girl, in a dystopian world, where there are five factions of people: Abnegation, who put others before their own needs and where Beatrice is currently from, the Dauntless, who are brave and fearless, the Erudite, who crave knowledge, the Amity, who are peaceful, and the Candor, who are honest. Before Choosing Day, where each sixteen year old will decide which faction they wish to devote their life to, is a simulated aptitude test that will tell Beatrice which faction she would fit in most with...but for her, life will never be simple. Instead of having just one of these traits, as is normal, Beatrice possesses at least three, which classifies her as Divergent. This makes her a dangerous person for reasons she doesn't understand. She has to keep this information to herself or risk being killed, so she can't find the answers she craves. Beatrice ultimately has to make a decision that will change the rest of her life: stay with her family or choose what would really make her happy. If she lets her guard down, she faces becoming factionless, without friends or family. As she finds love, she finds another thing she never thought she would: herself.

Paper Towns by John Green

17-year-old Quentin Jacobsen has been in love with his next-door neighbor, beautiful and unattainable Margo Roth Spiegelman, for his entire life. A leader at their Central Florida high school, she has carefully cultivated her tough-girl image. Quentin is one of the smart kids, never allowed around Margo's clique. His parents are therapists and he is, above all things, "well adjusted." He takes a rare risk when Margo appears at his window in the middle of the night. They drive around "righting wrongs" via her brilliant, elaborate pranks. Then she runs away (again). He slowly uncovers the depth of her unhappiness and the vast differences between the real and imagined Margo. Green's prose is believable—from hilarious trash talk to devastating observation and truths. He nails it—exactly how a thing feels, looks, affects a teen—page after page. The mystery of Margo—her disappearance and her as a person—is fascinating, cleverly constructed, and profoundly moving. Green builds tension through both the twists of the active plot and the subject. He avoids the usual coming-of-age character arc. Instead, the teen thinks deeper and harder—about the beautiful and terrifying ways we can and cannot know those we love.

The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti

In this book, Jade doesn't know yet that she wants something more out of life - and that she is about to meet someone that will change her life. Jade is an overachiever who has developed panic disorder. Sometimes, the medicine she takes makes her antsy at night, so she's taken to watching the online elephant cam from her local zoo. One night, the camera shows her a teenage boy in a red jacket with a baby, and she is inexplicably drawn to them. Throughout the course of her senior year, Jade finds herself feeling more and more out-of-place with her friends as they discuss their future plans. She's ready for her life to change, but she's not sure how. When she gets a job at the zoo and befriends the elephants and their caretakers, things seem right again. Then she meets the boy in the red jacket face-to-face. As their relationship grows, secrets are revealed on both sides, and it is that relationship which ultimately gives her the strength to make some extremely difficult choices. I have read two of Caletti's other books, Wild Roses and Stay, and loved both of them. To me, this one was not as enjoyable as the other two. I felt some spots were not as strong as her other novels. It was a good, quick read and, overall, it wasn't too bad.

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

Remy doesn't believe in love. And why should she? Her romance novelist mother is working on her fifth marriage, and her father, a '70s hippie singer, left her with only a one-hit wonder song to remember him by. Every time Remy hears "This Lullaby," it feels like "a bruise that never quite healed right." "Wherever you may go / I will let you down / But this lullaby plays on..." Never without a boyfriend, Remy is a compulsive dater, but before a guy can go all "Ken" on her (as in "ultra boyfriend behavior") she cuts him off, without ever getting close or getting hurt. That's why she's stunned when klutzy, quirky, alternate-band boy Dexter inserts himself into her life and refuses to leave. Remy's been accepted to Stanford, and she plans on having her usual summer fling before tying up the loose ends of her pre-college life and heading for the coast. Except Dexter's not following Remy's tried-and-true rules of break-up protocol. And for the first time, Remy's questioning whether or not she wants him to. Overall, I loved this book! One of Sarah Dessen's best.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

In the future, Earth has been taken over by a unique alien species. The infiltration was slow and undetected until it was too late. Now these aliens, known as Souls, live inside human bodies, which act as hosts for the invading parasites. Usually when a Soul is placed in a new host it is able to take full control of the body, pushing aside any remnant of the human that once lived inside. However, after a Soul named Wanderer is inserted into her new host, she soon realizes something isn't right. It seems the human who once inhabited this body refuses to give in and die. Melanie Stryder wants no part of Wanderer and is doing everything she can to fight back. Even though Wanderer controls the body, nothing she does is able to quench Melanie's spirit. She is always there, in her head, so to speak. As time goes by Melanie's memories become Wanderer's and soon she finds herself longing for the people that meant so much to her host. Melanie left behind her brother and the man she loves, and now Wanderer has developed those same feelings. Soon Wanderer and Melanie begin working together to track down Melanie's loved ones, all the while being careful that they don't lead the other Souls, especially Melanie's vicious Seeker, to the humans who are in hiding. When they find them, they must figure out a way to live peacefully with a group of humans who have grown to hate Souls. Emotions flare and relationships are tested in agonizing ways as two lives must share one body and as enemies must learn to co-exist and survive. Stephenie Meyer has taken the world by storm with her young adult Twilight series. The Host is her first stand alone adult novel. Having read all of the Twilight books, I didn't know what to expect from this Stephenie Meyer novel, being so separate from the series I had grown to know and love. What I found was a fascinating story that is really unlike anything I have ever read. While this story certainly has sci-fi elements, it is not what most would consider hard-core sci-fi. Meyer focuses more on the relationships of the characters and the intriguing dilemma of two lives sharing one body. Much of the book deals with Melanie and Wanda's complicated love triangle with Melanie's old flame, Jared, and Wanda's new love interest, Ian. There is action and suspense laced throughout, and Wanda's relationship with the surviving humans is tension filled to the max. The novel's real strength lies in the character of Wanda as she is constantly pulled between her duty as a Soul and the compassion she develops from her connection with Melanie and the other humans. Indeed, Wanda is the most human character of them all. Meyer's writing is top-notch throughout and never lags despite the massive page count. Readers who expect a fast paced storyline wrapped up in a mere 100,000 words may be disappointed. However, those who enjoy a steady paced tale that slowly builds into a powerful and emotional ending will love The Host. I can only hope Stephenie Meyer will continue this incredible saga she has begun.

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

The Things They Carried is a collection of short stories that play with truth. The narrator of most of these stories is "Tim"; yet O'Brien freely admits that many of the events he chronicles in this collection never really happened. He never killed a man as "Tim" does in "The Man I Killed," and unlike Tim in "Ambush," he has no daughter named Kathleen. But, as O'Brien points out, just because a thing never happened doesn't make it any less true. In "On the Rainy River," the character Tim O'Brien responds to his draft notice by driving north, to the Canadian border where he spends six days in a deserted lodge in the company of an old man named Elroy while he wrestles with the choice between dodging the draft or going to war. The real Tim O'Brien never drove north, never found himself in a fishing boat 20 yards off the Canadian shore with a decision to make. The real Tim O'Brien quietly boarded the bus to Sioux Falls and was inducted into the United States Army. But the truth of "On the Rainy River" lies not in facts but in the genuineness of the experience it depicts: both Tims went to a war they didn't believe in; both considered themselves cowards for doing so. Every story in The Things They Carried speaks another truth that Tim O'Brien learned in Vietnam, each one harder than the last to read. Those truths are what makes this book more than just a "school-read".

Crossed by Ally Condie

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake. Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever. The book is narrated from alternating standpoints between Cassia and Ky. I absolutely loved Matched and the ending left me eagerly awaiting this sequel. However, I was not as happy with this book. It is extremely slow and boring in the beginning and gets a little more exciting towards the end. The ending is very abrupt; too abrupt to even be considered a cliffhanger.

Beowulf by Seamus Heaney

Beowulf is obviously a classic. Of course I had to read for school. (Why else would someone read it, really?) But, for a school book, it was actually not that bad. The book is about Beowulf, a hero that goes and does various heroic things, like kill monsters and dragons. (Very similar to The Iliad and The Odyssey). I've had to write many papers on this baby. This is a much better translation than others because the language is almost current instead of poetry.

Flatland by Edwin Abbot

I had to read this book for my math class. (Why would anyone else read it, honestly?) The book itself was pretty boring, especially the first part, where the narrator just describes the rules and laws of Flatland. The movie, however, is actually pretty good. It's a short film, with Martin Sheen and Kristen Bell as the main characters. You'll only appreciate the movie after reading the book, though. Overall, boring for a regular book, not bad for a math book....watch the movie.

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

16-year-old Macy witnessed her father's death, but has never figured out how to mourn. Instead, she stays in control–good grades, perfect boyfriend, always neat and tidy–and tries to fake her way to normal. Then she gets a job at Wish Catering. It is run by pregnant, forgetful Delia and staffed by her nephews, Bert and Wes, and her neighbors Kristy and Monica. "Wish" was named for Delia's late sister, the boys' mother. Working and eventually hanging out with her new friends, Macy sees what it's like to live an unplanned lifestyle, from dealing with kitchen fires to sneaking out at night, and slowly realizes it's not so bad to be human. Wes and Macy play an ongoing game of Truth and share everything from gross-outs to what it feels like to watch someone you love die. They fall in love by talking, and the author fully develops their characters that way. All of Dessen's characters, from Macy, who narrates, to Kristy, whose every word has life and attitude, to Monica, who says almost nothing but oozes nuance, are fully and beautifully drawn. Their dialogue is natural and believable, and their care for one another is palpable. The prose is fueled with humor–the descriptions of Macy's dad's home-shopping addiction are priceless, as is the goofy bedlam of catering gigs gone bad–and as many good comedians do, Dessen uses it to throw light onto darker subjects. Grief, fear, and love set the novel's pace, and Macy's crescendo from time-bomb perfection to fallible, emotional humanity is, for the right readers, as gripping as any action adventure.

The Best War Ever by Michael C.C. Adams

Was it really such a "good war"? It was, if popular memory is to be trusted. We knew who the enemy was. We knew what we were fighting for. The war was good for the economy. It was liberating for women. It was a war of tanks and airplanes—a cleaner war than World War I. Americans were united. Soldiers were proud. It was a time of prosperity, sound morality, and power. But according to historian Michael Adams, our memory is distorted, and it has left us with a misleading—even dangerous—legacy. Challenging many of our common assumptions about the period, Adams argues that our experience of World War II was positive but also disturbing, creating problems that continue to plague us today.

When It Happens by Susane Colasanti

In the first chapter, readers find out that Sara is entering her senior year hoping that she'll find true love. She is ecstatic when Dave asks her out. He is part of the in crowd, and she begins to hang out with his friends, at the expense of her relationships with her friends. Next, readers hear from Tobey. He has had short flings with a couple of girls, but is uncomfortable with that kind of relationship. He thinks Sara is his real thing, and he asks her friend Laila to help him win her over. Tobey and Sara become partners in music class and find they have much in common. Dave, on the other hand, is a disappointment to her. When he pressures Sara, she finally realizes that she confused her attraction to his good looks and connections with honest feelings. Through alternating chapters, readers get the perspectives of Tobey and Sara about their developing relationship. Owing a lot to (and even referencing) the 80's movie Say Anything..., this is a good romance with a lot of promise. This is Colasanti's debut novel and, reading her other novels, you can see the improvement.

From Crime Scene to Courtroom by Cyril H. Wecht and Dawna Kaufmann

In this movie-like book, famed forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril H. Wecht and veteran true-crime journalist Dawna Kaufmann offer never-before-published information on the mysterious deaths of Michael Jackson and Caylee Anthony, plus five other ripped-from-the-headlines criminal cases. Based on their long investigative experience, these two insiders offer revealing insights into the following high-profile cases:

Casey Anthony
An assessment of the Trial of this Century, during which a Florida mother stood accused of killing her young daughter, Caylee. At stake were issues that included accuracy of air sampling and cadaver dogs, post-mortem hair banding, chloroform, duct tape identification, computer clues, and deep family secrets.

Michael Jackson
The authors provide never-disclosed data on the autopsies of Jackson's body and a microscopic view of the singer's life and career, plus analysis of the cardiologist charged with his death: Was Dr. Conrad Murphy recklessly negligent or a fall guy for a hopelessly addicted celebrity?

Drew Peterson
Heroic Illinois SWAT team cop or wife killer? Did his third wife slip and fall in the bathtub, or was she beaten and drowned? The controversy over her death led to an exhumation and the filing of homicide charges against him, but can prosecutors prove their case? And what happened to his fourth wife, who remains missing?

Rolling Stone Brian Jones
Was the rock musician's death an accident or something more sinister? And was he impaired by drugs or alcohol when he died? After more than forty years, there is finally an answer.

In addition, Wecht and Kaufmann examine the tragic death of twelve-year-old Gabrielle Bechen, whose rape-murder changed her community; Col. Philip Shue, whose demise was a battle of suicide versus homicide until Dr. Wecht solved the case; and Carol Ann Gotbaum, a respected Manhattan mother who died in police custody in Phoenix.

From crime scene to morgue to courtroom, and finally the court of public opinion, this riveting narrative is essential reading for true-crime enthusiasts.

Kim by Rudyard Kipling

Kim is a story of an orphan in India (the part that is now Pakistan) in the late 1800s. Kim is the son of an Irish soldier raised by locals, familiar with the customs and languages of the Hindus and Muslims of the area who gets recruited by the British to spy for them. Kim acts as a guide for a Tibetan Buddhist priest who is on a quest in India, broadening his knowledge of the cultures of his world and giving him an excuse to travel even further. He comes upon his father's regiment, and the officers of the regiment arrange for Kim to attend a 'proper' British school. Throughout the story, a British spymaster is helping Kim receive an education and arranging for Kim to carry messages and run small but important tasks for him. Kipling's passion for the land he was raised in and his love for the people he was raised with is unmistakable. The language of the book is a little hard to follow, between regional words and the English of the time, but a patient and persistant reader will find the effort rewarded.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Everyone I know seemed to be really excited about this book. After I read it, I saw why. It's pretty amazing. Even though a medical miracle has happened to her in her very short life, Hazel has never been anything but terminal. After her near death experience with a tumor, she has begun to think of life as an event leading up to death. This changes when she meets the alluring Augustus Waters at the Support Group her mother makes her go to. As she gets to know the young cancer survivor, she finds herself wanting to spend more time with him. But, because there's a threat of him falling for her too, she decides that she can't let this happen. She doesn't want to be a "grenade": a person who hurts everyone nearby when she blows up (aka dies). The breaking point for her is when their mutual friend, Isaac, loses his second eye to cancer and both him and his girlfriend end up hurt. But, just as she's decided to keep herself away from him, he's decided that he wants to be very near to her. As they start exploring their new found friendship, they start to find themselves falling in love with each other. But, just when their diagnoses is looking good, Hazel realizes that she may not be the "grenade" after all. Awesome book! Warning: you probably will cry.
Grade: A++
SC: 5
V: 4
C: 2

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

This book starts out with Amy, a girl living in the future, being cryogenically frozen. Important people, like her parents, are being transported to a distant planet to become the first civilization on this planet. 50 years early, however, Amy is yanked out of her frozen state and is almost killed. She is saved by Elder, the second in command of the giant ship heading to the new planet. Amy is suddenly thrust into a new world, with something sinister lurking in every corner. The ruler of the ship, Eldest, is ruling the ship with an iron hand. All of the "peasants" are drinking water that has been spiked with a drug that causes no emotions, everyone can communicate with everyone else by devices inside their ears, and they are informed that they are 50 years behind schedule. But, the situation worsens when Elder finds out that the ship isn't functioning properly and they are actually 250 years behind schedule: not even halfway there. As Eldest becomes even harder to deal with, Elder and Amy try to find a way to take control away from Eldest and protect the other "frozens" that are being yanked out and killed one by one. Overall, a good book. Lags a little in the middle but picks up again at the end.
Grade: B+
SC: 6
V: 7
C: 5

Wild Roses by Deb Caletti

This book is about Cassie, who is going through a hard time after her parent's divorce. She's not having a hard time with the divorce itself but instead her mean and vindictive step-father, Dino Cavelli. He is a "genius" composer who her mother fell deeply in love with and married five days after her divorce was final. Just when she thinks she's got him figured out, he surprises her again by becoming paranoid, convinced that his former manager William is listening to them through the cable and is watching them from the windows. As he slips more and more into his paranoid visions, he becomes even more violent and mean as the days pass. Another thing surprises Cassie: Dino takes on a student. She knows this won't go very well, probably ending in a violent screaming match and something being throw. But when she meets his student, gorgeous Ian Waters, she starts to think that it actually might have its advantages after all. When she and Ian start to get to know each other, Dino only gets worse. And, for the first time since knowing Dino, Cassie is actually scared. I loved this book! I read Caletti's book Stay a while ago and liked it. This one was just as good, showing she has the talent of Sarah Dessen, but also brings a little extra trouble into her books.
Grade: A+
SC: 6
V: 5
C: 5

The Final Hour by Andrew Klavan

Charlie West is back in prison. After having woken up being tortured by terrorists, escaping, and learning that he was being blamed for his best friend's murder. Serving time in prison would be bad enough but the so-called Yard King has developed a grudge against Charlie. As Charlie tries to keep away from the Yard King, the Nazis, and the Islamist terrorists in prison, he remembers the final piece of his memory. This memory involves the head of the terrorist organization (called the Homelanders) Prince talking about The Great Death and how it was going to happen at the start of the New Year. Charlie figures that they are going to kill a large number of Americans in only a few weeks. When the Nazis approach him about escaping prison, he decides to participate. Between the worsening conditions in prison and the Great Death approaching, he has no choice. But will he be able to make it to New York (his guess at the target area) before its too late? This is the final book in The Homelander series by Andrew Klavan (the first three being The Last Thing I Remember, The Long Way Home, and The Truth of the Matter). The other ones were great but this one wasn't as good. I think part of the reason was because a large part of this book was set in the Abington prison, where Charlie was incarcerated. A lot of books and movies are less exciting when they only happen in a small setting. Overall, good close to the series but could have been a little better.
Grade: A-
SC: 1
V: 8
C: 2

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola has always been known for being wild, especially with her fashion choices and her choices in men. For fashion, she loves to wear colorful, sparkly combinations, never wearing the same outfit twice. As for choices in men, her boyfriend, Max, is in an angry punk rock band and forced to go to weekly brunches with Lola's family. Just as school is getting back in session, her neighbors move back, which is an occurrence Lola has been dreading for quite some time. Although she tells her boyfriend she is more worried about Calliope, the gorgeous and intimidating figure skater, her twin brother Cricket is the bigger problem. She has always loved him, and she thought for a while that he loved her, too. But after his disastrous birthday party several years earlier, she knew it wasn't true. Now that he's back, and clearly interested in her, she has to keep him as far away from Max as possible. But as Max starts to get suspicious of her true motives in staying away from her neighbors, she starts to find herself falling into old habits with Cricket. But when Lola's perpetually drunk birth mother shows up, things somehow go from bad to even worse as Lola simply tries to hold it together. This book is the sequel to Anna and the French Kiss. Although this book was very good, I liked Anna and the French Kiss much better. Anna and St. Clair, the two main characters from the first book, are in this one quite a bit.
Grade: A-
SC: 7
V: 3
C: 5

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

This author has never written anything before and she apparently got the rights to her book bought to be made into a movie before the book was even published. I just had to see what the hype was. And it was actually pretty good. When the book starts, teenage Juliette is being held captive in a mental institution while the outside world is deteriorating daily. There is no food, no water, and the sky is literally falling (well, the sun anyway). Juliette is informed that she will soon have a roommate, which she is actually kind of excited about, especially after not talking to another human for many months. She soon learns, however, that her roommate is actually a boy, which makes no sense other than the fact that the people in charge of the institution might actually want to kill her. She soon finds out that he used to go to school with her, someone that she hasn't allowed herself to think about in a long time. Despite his many questions, she also doesn't tell him about her huge secret. That she is able to kill people with just a mere touch. As she gets to know her roommate, it becomes clear that he has even more to hide than she does. She is taken by a man known only as Warner, who is crazy and wants to use her to further his own cause. But Juliette will not become the monster that he wants her to be. Because, despite her "disease", she doesn't want to hurt anyone. This book was very good, especially at the beginning. Once Juliette meets Warner, it becomes a bit confusing. But, overall, good work for a first time writer.
Grade: B+
SC: 6
V: 8
C: 3

That Summer by Sarah Dessen

Fifteen-year-old Haven is 6 feet tall and still growing. Her bratty older sister is getting married to boring Lewis and yelling at everyone in sight. Her mother has been sad and lonely since her father left. And, to top it all off, her father (sportscaster) and new step-mother (weather girl) have just announced that they are going to have a baby, a month after they were married. Haven is dealing with the crisis in her normal way: being quiet and taking care of everyone around her. Little does the family know, it is only the calm before the storm. To add to the growing stress, one of Ashley's many ex-boyfriends shows up. Sumner was Haven's favorite of Ashley's boyfriends and he reminds her of what the world was like when Ashley still liked her, her parents were still married, and she was happy. As the wedding gets closer and closer, Haven is afraid that she will explode. This book was good, but it wasn't as good as Dessen's normally are. Very short read. This book and one of Dessen's others (Someone Like You) was turned into a movie called How To Deal starring Mandy Moore.
Grade: B-
SC: 3
V: 2
C: 4