Party by Tom Leveen

This was a complicated, interwoven storyline. So that I don't giveaway too much, I'm using the book jacket summary.

It's Saturday night in Santa Barbara and school is done for the year. Everyone is headed to the same party. Or at least it seems that way. The place is packed. The beer is flowing. Simple, right? But for 11 different people the motives are way more complicated. As each character takes a turn and tells his or her story, the eleven individuals intersect, and reconnect, collide, and combine in ways that none of them ever saw coming.

From Goodreads

Whew, that was so much safer than what I originally had written. Party was a fascinating novel. It is told in first person, based on the chapter narrator. There are eleven narrators all giving partial glimpses at this one night. When you piece all their stories together you obtain one cohesive time line of events. Each of these kids represents almost the whole gamut of the teenage years. The parental arguments, the sense of loss, the shyness, the awkwardness, the break-ups, the make-ups, the hook-ups, and everything in between. These eleven kids experience it all in hyperdrive at this one party.

While each character only gets one chapter, I felt like they didn't waste any time getting to the heart of their personalities and issues. You knew from the beginning what was going on in their lives and what their personal focus would be. Even better, are the vignettes we glean from earlier chapters. By the final chapter we have come full circle and see the complete night as a whole.

I think most people can find at least one character they can relate to in this book, whether it's the loner girl with a secret, the uber-responsible friend, the devoutly spiritual, or the conflicted jock. There are attributes in each of them that appeal to the reader in some manner. I personally identified with the responsible friend, although I never attended a party in high school (lame, I know). While not a light, happy read, if you're a fan of no-holds-barred, realistic fiction (along the lines of Going Too Far) then this book is perfectly suited for your tastes.

This book was graciously provided by Around the World Tours.

The Line by Terri Hall

The Property, where sixteen-year-old Rachel and her mother live, and Away are just barely separated by The Line and everyone knows to stay out of Away. Sounds simple enough right? Rachel does as she's supposed to and follows all the rules to stay in Ms. Moore's good graces, as she is the owner of The Property.

Everything is as hunky-dory as it can be, until Rachel uncovers a mysterious recorded message. They're all alone on The Property, but given their proximity to Away, that's the only logical conclusion for the recording's origin. The message is dire though and asking for help. Rachel decides to heed that call and do the unthinkable. She's going to Away and her life will forever be altered.

Terri Hall's debut novel The Line is equal parts suspenseful mystery and dystopian fight for survival. Terri does a fabulous job outlining the changes the United States had to undergo in order to devolve into their current existence. Her detailing allowed the reader to glean a fuller understanding of the trials these people faced. Unfortunately it also made the book dull to start off. Although it became increasingly more interesting and fast-paced, the beginning really took some working to get through.

Rachel was a fun, spunky kind of girl. I really enjoyed reading about her growth under Ms. Moore's tutelage in the hot house. Her attitude could chafe sometimes, but it was certainly understandable. I really admired that fact that her character felt it imperative to help those in Away, despite everything she knew about those who inhabit Away.

While not the quickest read I've ever had, this was definitely an attention-grabber. It reminded me of Restoring Harmony in a way because it was slow to start-off, but really good once it gets going. Be on the lookout for Away, the second book in the series, in 2011!!

This book was graciously provided by Around the World Tours.

Swoon at Your Own Risk by Sydney Salter

Polly Martin has no problem attracting guys. Her problem lies in keeping them. In the last year alone she has won and lost Jack, Gareth, Sawyer, Hayden, and Kurt. Some of them were very brief relationships (does hooking up on a trip constitute dating?) and some were a little longer. The main thing they all had in common was that Polly chose to emulate whatever her current guy was interested in. Thus landing her a summer job working under Sawyer at a lowly cowboy-themed water park, unsure of what she really wants, unsure of who she really is, and swearing off guys.

On top of all her dating drama, Polly worries about the fact that her mother has to take a part time job as a food angel to help pay the bills, her grandmother (the love advice columnist Miss Swoon) is moving in with them, and her decimated relationship with her father and little sister. Even with all this going on, Polly still manages to catch the eye of geek turned hottie Xander Cooper. Will she be able to wrestle her own issues into submission so she can enjoy Xander or will Polly simply retreat and hide?

Swoon at Your Own Risk is an odd little story that jumps around a lot. Not only do you jump from stories about ex-boyfriend #1 to ex-boyfriend #5, but there is also some seriously extra nonsense. There was so much drama going on between family members, friends, and co-workers that I was having trouble keeping up. Many of the characters I thought were minor, turned out to be pretty important to understand the plotline and then others that were given some serious spotlight fizzled.

The writing was fine and I really did enjoy a) the column entries from Miss Swoon, b) the blog articles from a co-worker (I've only seen a blog used effectively in one other book, Stalker Girl), and c) the poetry-like snippits from Xander's journal. All of these pieces added depth to an otherwise shallow story. I have to admit that many of the events seem improbable at best. I honestly can't believe that someone can get so many "extra chances" to improve performance at a job. Sorry.

In general, this was a fluffy read that was only mildly enjoyable. If you like drama and gossip, this book is good for that, but not really much else.

This book was graciously provided by Around the World Tours.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Deathday Letter

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week I am looking forward to the June 15th release of The Deathday Letter by Shaun Hutchinson, published by Simon Pulse. This sounds like a cooler (and shorter) twist of Before I Fall. Summary:

All fifteen year-old Oliver Travers wanted to do when he woke up Thursday morning was squeeze in a little underwear gymnastics before school, until his mom called him downstairs to tell him he had received a Deathday Letter, which sort of ruined the mood.

Content to spend his last day of life at school (where the girls are), Oliver's best friends Shane Grimsley and Veronica (Ronnie) Dittrich convince him to burn his books and ditch school to, you know, have a little actual fun before he kicks the bucket.

In a world where only taxes, Deathday Letters, and teenage boy's hormones are certainties, Oliver, Shane and Ronnie embark upon a bus ride that takes them from the post office, to a house filled with college-aged anti-Deathday Letter activists (and Dave Matthews fans), and nearly to prison. And as the end draws near Oliver learns that living is way tougher than dying…and that kissing is wetter than he'd expected.

From Goodreads

How much fun does that sound like? It kind of reminds me of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". (Make sure to click that link for the trailer if you haven't seen it) Oliver obviously just wants to enjoy himself and there's nothing wrong with that. He's a teen, in the prime of his life, he shouldn't be getting his Deathday Letter yet. I can't wait to get my hands on this book. I hope it's as fun as it sounds!

Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards

Sixteen-year-old Celestia is the youngest daughter of two very prominent people of Pennsylvania society in 1889. She and her sister spend their summer vacation doing what all proper ladies of their position do, lazing in the shade and taking up needlecrafts at their resort, the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. Celestia is not content to just laze about, so she often spends her time in the shade of a old tree next to the lake. That is where she was the day she met and fell in love with Peter. While he was just a hired hand, working at the club before going to work in the coal mines like his father, he was well-read and well-versed in all manner of subjects.

The couple grow fond of one another very quickly and pledge their fidelity to each other. Their bond is quickly tested when it is discovered that Celestia's sister is with child, and that child has not been sired by her fiancé. Immediately the sister is cast out of the family and Celestia is whisked away to Europe for finishing school before her societal debut. The couple keeps in touch and hopes to rekindle their triste the following summer.

While Celestia does make it back to the Club, she finds that Peter is no longer employed there. She's had all she can take from her family and runs to the neighboring town to find him, leaving all she has ever known behind. Unfortunately for her, her timing could not have been more tragic. The Club lake was artificially made by a dam. Every year the townsfolk joke that it will give way during the stormy season. Sadly this does come to pass and the novel tells the tale of love, loss, survival, and destiny through verse.

Three Rivers Rising was in a phrase: an enchanting and harrowing tale. This book was historically factual in that the timeline and the most of the events actually took place on that fateful day in 1889. It's hard to believe the devastation that something as simple as water can cause, but in mass quantities anything can be deadly.

The characters were very representative of their time and station and I really found myself drawn to the lower class characters. The book is told by revolving narrators with the focus on Celestia and Peter, yet I found myself drawn to Maura and Kate much more. They were simple, ordinary people going on about their lives as best they could, when this tragedy struck and changed their lives irrevocably. A fascinating change to behold!

The writing was incredible! The verse and poetry of the words were both heart-wrenching and affable. Richards really captured the desire, desperation, and magnitude of this event in her narrative. I would say if you enjoyed The Sky is Everywhere, then you will enjoy this novel. Simply amazing.

Teen's Top Ten Nominees & Challenge (with prizes)!

I don't know if you all noticed, but the Teen's Top Ten nominees have been announced. Every year, YALSA (the Young Adult Library Services Association) polls 15 book clubs around the country about what books they think should make the list of the best teen books published in the last year. This year there are 26 nominees that teens (12-18) can vote on between August 23rd and September 17th. The Teen's Top Ten choices are announced during Teen Read Week in October. This year's theme for Teen Read Week is "Books with Beat."If you want more information on any of these events, please visit the YALSA website.

The 2010 nominees are:

Abbott, Ellen Jensen. Watersmeet

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Wintergirls

Brown, Jennifer. Hate List

Carter, Ally. Heist Society

Cashore, Kristin. Fire

Clare, Cassandra. City of Glass

Clayton, Emma. The Roar

Collins, Suzanne. Catching Fire

Dessen, Sarah. Along for the Ride

Fisher, Catherine. Incarceron

Fitzpatrick, Becca. hush, hush

Forman, Gayle. If I Stay

Garcia, Kami and Margaret Stohl. Beautiful Creatures

Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd. Edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci.

Golding, Julia. Dragonfly

Jinks, Catherine. The Reformed Vampire Support Group

Lieb, Josh. I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President

Ockler, Sarah. Twenty Boy Summer

Patterson, James. Witch and Wizard

Peters, Julie Anne. By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead

Pierce, Tamora. Bloodhound

St. Crow, Lili. Strange Angels

Stiefvater, Maggie. Shiver

Tanigawa, Nagaru. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Westerfeld, Scott. Leviathan

Yep, Laurence. City of Fire

See some familiar names up there? If you've been reading my blog for a while you should, as I have read and reviewed a few of them. Because I like to read as many of them as possible so that I can recommend them to my teens during the summer and fall to gear up for voting, I thought it would be fun to make it into a challenge to see who else would like to join me! Since I'm (sadly) over 18, I can't vote, but I still feel like a part of it all when I read the books. There are 3 different levels to the challenge.

Solo: Duet: Three-Part Harmony:

Reading 1-8 books Reading 9-17 books Reading 18-26 books

The deadline is September 17th as that is the last day of voting. I will be giving away a prize pack of books to one lucky person in each category. Simply sign up using the Mister Linky below. Your post should contain a link back to the challenge, your level choice, and the books that you've read to complete the challenge. Since some of these books came out in 2009, if you have already read the book, you can still consider it in the challenge. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REVIEW THE BOOKS IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED. Many of these books can fit into other challenges that are in the blogosphere like the Debut Authors Challenge hosted by The Story Siren or the 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge hosted by J. Kaye. Please let me know if you have any questions. Good luck!

Example:

Laura (Tattooed Books) Solo

[link to blogpost about challenge choices]

My Challenges Update!

I only joined two challenges that cross over one another, but so far, here's where I stand.

Debut Author Challenge: I have read 14 books that count. You can see the full list of what I want to read here.

1. 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison (Read review here)
   
2. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (Read review here)
   
3. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (Read review here)
   
4. In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth (Read review here)
   
5. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore (Read review here)
6. Of All The Stupid Things by Alexandra Diaz (Read review here)
   
7. Restoring Harmony by Joëlle Anthony (Read review here)
   
8. The Line by Teri Hall (read)
   
9. The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg (Read review here)
10. The Mark by Jen Nadol (Read review here)
    
11. The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard (Read review here)
12. The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (Read review here)
13. Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards (Read)
    
14. Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis (Read review here)

On the 2010 YA Reading Challenge front, I have read 22 of the 50 YA books that I want to read this year. Considering that I have 38 more books to read for the Debut Author Challenge, I think I'll be fine for this one as well.

Also, come on back on Thursday to check out the reading challenge that I will be hosting. There are only 26 books to choose from, there are 3 levels, you don't HAVE to review them at all, and the best part is the prize! Check back on Thursday for more information.

Lost for Words by Alice Kuipers

Words can fail you. They seem to be in a permanent state of failure for Sophie. She finds herself having severe panic attacks, distancing herself from her friends, turning her back on the only family she has left, and just generally withdrawing in on herself. What could possibly have caused this transformation? An awful, horror that Sophie can't bring herself to talk about with anyone.

So instead of talking Sophie takes refuge in the written word. At the suggestion of her therapist, who is making absolutely no progress with Sophie or her condition, the London teen picks up her notebook and writes whatever comes to her. There are some entries like a diary, there are some reflecting on her recent past, and there are some poems.

As her relationships with those who were once close to her are deteriorating, Sophie manages to make a new friend with a recently-arrived Canadian. Rosa-Leigh helps Sophie work through her issues and deal with the complicated mess that is the remains of Sophie's life. The future can't be much more bleak than the past, can it?

What a novel! It truly did read like a diary, with some entries being much more interesting than others and still more that you can find yourself having thought about before. This book had a very interesting part to it being that you start off the novel in the dark about "the tragedy." It is such an integral part of the storyline and the reason behind Sophie's actions that it absolutely ate me up not knowing what it was. Yet the way that the clues are dropped, the attempt to piece them together, and then the revelation were SO worth the wait!!

While I did not fancy Sophie that much as a person, even taking in to consideration her troubles, she was miles above her friends and pseudo-boyfriend. Her friends (other than Rosa-Leigh) were so self-absorbed and despicable that I really wanted to smack them! The pseudo-boyfriend was such a skeez (not to mention an uncompleted plotline) that I just skimmed the parts that contained his pathetic existence. Sophie's mother was quite likable and understanding, definitely more so than my mother would have been in the same situation.

While I did like this book, I felt that it could have been better executed. The diary-ness of it really got old after a while and I kind of wish there had been a little more poetry sprinkled throughout it. As a whole, the story was very compelling and breath-taking; filled with unimaginable heartache and toil, but the writing felt wonky most of the time. Now some of what I don't prefer may be intentional to give it the "written by a teen" feel; it just lacked for me. If you like a good thinking/puzzle book, then this will work well for you.

This book was provided by Around the World Tours.

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Sophie is painfully aware of the fact that she doesn't fit it. Not only is she the daughter of a college professor obsessed with all things paranormal, Sophie has never met her father in person, she's lived in more states than she has celebrated birthdays; oh, and she's a witch.

After coming in to her powers, as all Prodigium (magical persons) do, Sophie couldn't manage to stay out of trouble. Obviously their presence cannot be openly established with the human world, so it must be kept secret and she was never very good about that. While all she really wanted to do was help people and fit in, she only managed to make a huge mess and force her and her mother to move on the next place.

When her last "helpful" spell goes horribly wrong for all involved, the Council sentences Sophie to be confined to the private, secluded Prodigium school of Hectate Hall. Residents of this historic school range in age from 12 to 18, at which point they "graduate" and are allowed to rejoin society. Sophie is fascinated by the shifters, fairies, and other witches/warlocks that also attend Hectate, affectionately referred to as Hex Hall. To her surprise, Sophie finds herself rooming with pink-loving Jenna, the only vampire student on the campus. The girls begin a rocky, but solidifying relationship while bonding over the evil that is the coven. Comprised of the 3 most beautiful witches in the school, and dubbed "The Witches of Clinique," they naturally covet Sophie's talent. When she refuses, she manages to seal her fate as the most undesirable witch at Hex Hall.

As if changing schools again and having to live in a dorm wasn't bad enough, there's something amiss on campus. Jenna's former roommate, and coven member, was murdered not long before Sophie arrived and now more coven members are falling. As Sophie digs deeper to discover the truth, she starts practicing her magic more and working on expanding her abilities. Her late night practices start to pay off, but at a severe cost to those around her. Can she find the truth before the Council steps in and decides on punishment?

Hex Hall was a riot to read!! The witty humor weaves throughout the novel in a way that one would expect a teenager to think. I can hear the sarcasm dripping off the pages along with the angst and attitude. In a way this book was like Harry Potter meets Viola in Reel Life, but on a small scale campus. It was really fun to see these unique characters go through what is without a doubt the most difficult adjustment period of their lives.

I found the mystery surrounding the evil Prodigium-hunting societies intriguing, but I felt that it was lacking since it never really went anywhere. I know that there are going to be at least two more novels and I know it was used to help bait the reader, but it was frustrating to have this idea dangled in front of me and yet me completely helpless to find out more information. Especially when one of the main characters might be involved with one of the societies.

Overall the characters were each fascinating and over-the-top as one would expect teenagers to be and I found that they were quite pleasant to read about. None of them were too much of anything and I really didn't struggle to understand them, which made the story more fun to read. While there are some unanswered questions at the end, it just leaves room for more novels. I'm hoping it's only a trilogy because any longer than that and I'm afraid it will start to get repetitive. Give a shot if you haven't already!

The Mark by Jen Nadol

If you have the ability to know someone is going to die within 24 hours, do you have to help? When sixteen-year-old Cassie finally pieces together that the fuzzy, light glow around people is the mark of death, she doesn't really know what to do about it. She lives in fear of it because she feels powerless to stop it. Orphaned as a toddler, she has lived in rural Pennsylvania her whole life with Nan, her maternal grandmother. While Cassie's had a fairly normal childhood, her easy going time is cut short when one day she sees the mark on Nan. Nan has always believed Cassie about the mark and decides to accept her fate.

After Nan's death, Cassie learns that in order to obtain the large sum that Nan has stored for her, she must go back to Bering, Kansas (where she was born and her parents died) and live with her estranged aunt for 90 days. This is obviously a total shock to Cassie. She's got her friend Tasha and the ever-present and gorgeous Jack to keep her company, why should she go somewhere she's never been, to live with a woman she's never met, just to satisfy some legal mumbo-jumbo? Either way, Cassie decides to look at it as an opportunity and goes ahead.

Bering, Kansas is a college town and Cassie quickly finds things to occupy her time. She obtains a job at the local coffee nook Cuppa, takes a Philosophy 101 class as an audit student, and fills her extra hours with Lucas, the TA from her class. As the summer continues on, Cassie starts to see more and more marks. At Lucas's prodding she tries to warm some of them, with varying results. Confused, hurt, and very lost, Cassie stumbles upon a bit of truth that changes her whole outlook and her future.

This was an interesting book. It reminded me of Numbers by Rachel Ward, only Cassie didn't have to see everyone's death date. Cassie just had to know that there was only one chance to let them know that they wouldn't survive the day. It posed an fascinating dilemma that I found myself debating, about the responsibility of this power. In general I found Cassie to be a mostly likable character, although she seemed a bit childish at times. I really found that she grew on me as her character developed and she stood on her own in Kansas.

The guys in the novel were a little too pushy for my tastes and very obviously macho, but you never really get to know them. I kind of would have liked to see more of the personal side of Lucas and Cassie's relationship. We kind of just got to know them as almost anyone who ever saw them would have. It would have been preferable to see them in a more intimate manner (growing up stories, family stories, really describing a daily scene, etc).

The story really didn't seem to be going much of anywhere, at least no where visible, until Cassie went to Kansas. I really think her time spent there was what made up my mind to like the book as a whole. She was so out of her element and on her own that it really made me appreciate what was going on more. It's not too fast and not too slow, really a short read. Take a chance on it!

13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison

Tanya has seen the fairies her whole life and they've never been very kind to her. They have teased her and tormented her because she is the only person, that she knows of, who can see them and they don't take kindly to being exposed. After months of questionable incidents that have caused injuries to Tanya, and that she has had to explain away, her mother has had enough. Tanya is sent to her grandmother's estate to work out her "issues" while her mother takes a break in their home in London.

Not in the least thrilled about being banished to the boring countryside with her stand-offish grandmother, Tanya is determined to make the best of her situation for as long as she can. The estate has fallen into disrepair as time has gone on. Very little of the house is used anymore as there are only four human inhabitants that live there. Florence (Tanya's grandmother), Warwick (the current groundskeeper), Warwick's father Amos (the now insane, former groundskeeper) and Warwick's son Fabian all share the space, unknowingly with several fairie creatures who love to cause mischief. As Tanya is the only one who can see these creatures, she does her best not to anger them and stay out of their way. Unfortunately it's not enough.

As Fabian and Tanya begin to explore the more closed off portions of the estate, they make some interesting finds: secret passageways (and not just the servant kind), blocked off rooms, and forgotten promises. The house isn't the only thing hiding secrets though. When the two become lost in the woods while chasing Tanya's dog Oberon, they stumble upon a young girl with her own secrets. And her secrets are the dangerous sort that people never recover from.

This was a classical fairy tale, complete with English backdrop, in which a girl can see fairies, but other cannot and she must work within her bounds to make it through whatever crisis crops up. The descriptions of the creatures were so detailed, without being boring, that I could actually imagine them climbing off the page! Most of the characters were well-defined as well. The reader catches glimpses of each character throughout the story that start to put them in context and round them out, again without being over-detailed and dragging on.

The plot was intriguing enough to move the story along, but not so in-depth and convoluted that it was hard to follow. I'll admit that many "mysteries" were quite obvious to the reader and I really had to suspend my belief that anyone could be that dim-witted, but for the most part it was fascinating to watch the kids put the pieces together. There was only one character who made sense in the end, but when she's first introduced seems very mismatched with the surroundings. I let the explanation for her existence go and just enjoyed the story.

This was a fun, fast read with just enough mystery and intrigue to keep the reader engaged throughout the whole story. If you prefer more traditional fairies to the urban fey of current popularity, then this book is just right for you. I think everyone should at least give it a shot!

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

Penny Lane's parents are HUGE Beatles fanatics. Hello, note her name and those of her sisters: Lucy & Rita. Talk about an embarrassing existence; but not nearly as embarrassing as getting cheated on by the one guy you've been head-over-heels for forever. That's exactly what happened to Penny Lane, just as she was ready to take the next step in their relationship.

Taking solace in the only four men who she's ever been able to fully trust, George, Paul, John, and Ringo, Penny Lane decides to swear off boys for the remainder of high school. As a junior, that shouldn't be too hard for her. Naturally she has to make up an awesome name for her miserable state: The Lonely Hearts Club.

Only the population of TLHC doesn't remain at 1 for long. Soon, her old friend Diane, after her recent break-up with longtime-boyfriend Ryan, joins her club looking for affirmations of her worth and the pleasure of non-demanding female company. Shortly thereafter, word of the club spreads like wildfire and membership explodes. Penny Lane must deal with the club, her school's dislike of the club, and her growing feelings for a boy. But she'll make it, with a little help from her friends.

This fun novel was a real pleasure to read. It was uplifting and self-affirming in all the right places. It's a perfect novel for teen girls who are frustrated with the dating situation. These girls are far from perfect, they have doubts and fears and issues, but the fact that they stick together and work on them is what's so important.

Penny Lane does a fabulous job of embodying the constant struggles that young women face. She is hurt and in need to comfort and creates what she needs. She turns to those who really care for her and makes her own path with their help. I think that is a very important and powerful message to send to readers.

While there isn't much earth-shattering conflict, I enjoyed the ride all the same. It was especially delighted to be rewarded with titles and snippets of popular Beatles songs at the beginning of each section. A wonderfully alluring novel, I highly recommend it for a feel-good, pick-you-up read.

The Sky is Everyehwere by Jandy Nelson

The Sky is Everywhere is a great novel by debut author Jandy Nelson. It will be available in stores March 9, 2010.

Lennie Walker feels abandoned. Not just because her mother disappeared when she was a year old, but as the quirky, clarinet-playing, little sister to her queen-of-the-stage sister Bailey, Lennie has never really had to stand out on her own. She could hide in her sister's shadow and never have to worry about being noticed. That is, until the day that Bailey dies. Lennie's whole world is turned upside down by this one event.

Left behind to ponder how she will go on, Lennie isn't alone. Bailey's boyfriend Toby can't seem to stay away from their family as they're the only ones he can commiserate with. Unfortunately for Lennie, the line dividing her and Bailey into two individuals becomes blurred when Toby can't seem to stay away from her. This does not bode well for anyone, especially the new flame in town who is head-over-heels for Lennie.

And not to be outdone, there is even more drama at home with Lennie's Grandmother and Uncle Big who want to help her move through this tough time. They keep trying to get her to pack up Bailey's things and talk to them about what she's feeling, when all Lennie wants to do is keep Bailey's memory alive as long as she can; even if it means shutting out the world. The thing is, you can only run from the truth for so long before you're winded and it catches up to you.

Absolutely beautiful. That's what comes to mind when I think of this book. I wanted to read it slowly so that I could savor it, but it was so page-turning that I couldn't stop myself. Lennie is about as real as it gets. I swear she could have walked right off the page and danced in my living room. She is vivacious and funny, poignant and thoughtful, and above all conflicted. This story is about love, loss, recovery, and learning. Life is not easy and it most certainly isn't fair and that is never more obvious than when you're a teenager.

I found myself laughing out loud at the hilarious parts (a massive arborist uncle who tries to revive deceased bugs under replica Egyptian pyramids?) and sobbing at the most difficult scenes. My heart actually broke with the characters and I rejoiced when they triumphed. The writing was wonderful with a colorful vocabulary and the style is one that I am very fond of: there is poetry (written by the main character) scattered throughout the book and throughout the setting. This very natural habit to document emotions makes Lennie even more present in my mind.

Truly, I believe that Jandy Nelson has joined the likes of many great authors of contemporary YA fiction: Sarah Dessen, Francesca Lia Block, and Laurie Halse Anderson come to mind. This is book is imaginative, powerful, genuine, and unforgettable. I don't think I know anyone who couldn't empathize and understand this book, so go ahead and read it.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Line

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

The Line by Teri Hall is set to be released on March 4, 2010.

An invisible, uncrossable physical barrier encloses the Unified States. The Line is the part of the border that lopped off part of the country, dooming the inhabitants to an unknown fate when the enemy used a banned weapon. It’s said that bizarre creatures and superhumans live on the other side, in Away. Nobody except tough old Ms. Moore would ever live next to the Line.

Nobody but Rachel and her mother, who went to live there after Rachel’s dad died in the last war. It’s a safe, quiet life. Until Rachel finds a mysterious recorded message that can only have come from Away. The voice is asking for help.

Who sent the message? Why is her mother so protective? And to what lengths is Rachel willing to go in order to do what she thinks is right? From Goodreads

How awesome does that sound?! It's got some serious mystery to it that I find ridiculously appealing and a unique plot. Quartered off sections of the country that left those on the other side to fend for themselves? Sign me up for reading that book! Anyway, I am hoping that Rachel will be a strong, female heroine because those are my favorite types. Maybe she can go all "superhero"-ish and saves those on the other side. Who knows? Can't wait to read it!

In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth

Nobody dies while figure skating; that's just not normal. Sadly, such is the reality for sixteen-year-old figure skater Eagan. Just a fraction of an inch would have kept her from hitting her head on the board at the rink during her performance. She could have lived and possibly gone on to the Olympics one day had it not been for that fraction of an inch.

As it is, her unfortunately early demise, allowed sick fourteen-year-old Amelia to get a new heart. She has been sick for so long her parents had to install a sliding chair in their staircase for her to get to her bedroom. Now, simply because Eagan checked the "Organ Donor" box on her driver's license, Amelia has another shot at life.

Told through alternating points of view, In a Heartbeat is an incredibly moving book. We get little glimpses into what both girls' lives are like before and after the accident. That tragically happy accident may have deprived one girl of her dreams and one family of a future with that child, but it also gave another family hope that their daughter could have a future at all. While Eagan and Amelia are polar opposites on the personality spectrum, they both have such a life drive that they cannot seem to shake. As the story progresses the girls seem to take on more and more of each others' personalities even though they never meet.

Both girls are strong, independent characters that were well-rounded. There was the potential for them to fall flat (over-the-top athlete and sick kid) and I found them standing out more and more. They both had little mannerisms and habits that spoke more loudly of their personalities and essence than any description ever could. I found the writing to be quite plain, which only added more emphasis to the actual story and not the delivery.

A truly heart-wrenching, tear-flooding tale, In a Heartbeat is an incredibly powerful novel. Loretta Ellsworth really hit the nail on the head with this storyline. I felt so much raw emotion and vulnerability without having to wade through a bunch of layers to get to it. The romance plot line was a little obvious, but necessary in order to bring the metamorphosis full-circle. Give it a shot, it's a quick read at only 195 pages. I promise at the end you will feel uplifted and rejuvenated.