Book #92 Read in 2016
Girl on a Plane by Miriam Moss
This is a story about Anna, a 15 year old girl, who is on her way to boarding school when her plane is hijacked. The author went through a similar ordeal as a teenager and she felt that now was the time to write about it, fictionalizing it. This book was emotionally raw and displayed the emotions of the hostages while they were wondering if they would live or die. This book was fairly action packed and would be a recommended read for high school and adult readers alike. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.
Book #91 Read in 2016
Something in Between by Melissa De La Cruz
Jasmine is a top scholar, cheerleading captain, hospital volunteer and all around success story. She wins a national college scholarship and is extremely happy. Her parents--not so much....as they must tell Jasmine that she cannot accept the scholarship as their Visas had expired and they are undocumented immigrants and not US citizen. Add to this storyline a romance with a rich senator's son and you have an interesting read. This book is very timely given all the current news and is more than just a teenage romance. I recommend it for high school girls. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.
Book #90 Read in 2016
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
Charlie is a 17 year old who manages her pain by cutting herself. As the book opens, Charlie is in a mental ward. Insurance runs out and her mother boots her to the curb. Charlie heads to Arizona to her friend Mikey's place and gets a job as a dishwasher in a coffeehouse. Will she be able to make it on her own? Will she be able to resist hurting herself? This book is emotionally brutal and raw but is one that a reader will not be able to put down. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.
Book #89 Read in 2016
Murder at the 42nd Library by Con Lehane
This was a more gritty mystery than my usual cozy mysteries, but I enjoyed it. Ray Ambler is the Crime Fiction Librarian and he begins an investigation of his own when someone is murder at the 42nd Street Library where he works. As he investigates, he realizes that this is more complicated than he thought. Many people are involved and many things that occurred in the past are mitigating factors in these murders. This was a good mystery, with good twists and turns. The characters were interesting. I enjoyed it.
Book #88 Read in 2016
Replica by Lauren Oliver
This book was interesting from the get go, starting with its format, This book two the stories of two girls, Gemma and Lyra, and the book was designated as half for each. To read the other story, readers had to turn the book upside down. That would intrigue teenage readers. Gemma has had health issues all her life, which makes her different from her classmates. She begins to look into Haven, a place her father was once connected to and sneaks away to Florida to try to get a look at what is going on in there. What she finds is more than she could have imagined. Lyra is one of the Haven residents and Gemma finds her when Haven is burned down. Is Lyra a human or a clone/replica? Can the two girls help each other? This book had an interesting plot, well-rounded characters as well as action and humor. I enjoyed it and highly recommend it. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.
Book #87 Read in 2016
Girls on Fire by Robin Wasserman
This is not a nice book. This book is gritty, disturbing and edgy. Hannah is a nice girl but not popular in high school. The new girl, Lacey, takes an interest in her and turns her into "Dex" a more wild, rebellious girl, much like Lacey. But Lacey has a lot of issues in her world that bring a dark side to her. How far will she go? This book will hook readers will non-stop angst and action and readers will be on the edge of their seats seeing how far into the darkness these high school girls will go. I recommend it.
Book #86 Read in 2016
The King Slayer by Virginia Boecker
This book is a sequel to The Witch Hunter, a YA historical/paranormal book. Elizabeth is still after evil magician Blackwell but without her stigma to protect her she is vulnerable and mortal. John and she are still trying to figure out their romance. Add a war and overthrowing a king to the mix and you have an action-packed read. This book picks up right where the first book leaves off and ends in a way that it could be the end and it could have more to come. A good read, I recommend it for both girls and boys in high school and adults.
