YA Pick: The Voice in My Head

The Voice in My Head
by Dana L. Davis
Ink Yard Press
2019
308 pages with Questions for Discussion
Resources
ISBN: 9871335998497

The Voice in My Head is a WINNER!

Twins Violet and Indigo have always been close, but since Violet's diagnosis, Indigo feels pushed away. Her pretty, popular, perfect twin is dying. There is no cure, and worse, Violet has decided to die on her own terms: with dignity. Choosing assisted suicide and her death date puts her twin Indigo into a panic. How can Violet  think about leaving her? And why would she choose death? How will she (Indigo)  navigate without her sister? Feeling lost, Indigo climbs a building, considering suicide herself. Before she lets go, she hears a voice in her head. She realizes she doesn't want to die after all. Choosing life, Indigo tries to save herself but falls.

Waking up in the hospital, Indigo tries to make her family see it was an accident. As the voice in her head keeps her company, Indigo decides to take Violet to The Wave, a remote rock in Arizona where the voice tells her Violet will make the trip and live. Violet has her own rules. The entire family packs up with the help of a preacher and the church bus and travels to the desert. The family each reads Violet a letter, and little brother Alfred asks Violet (when she dies) to promise to be his best ghost IRL (Alfred talks in text lingo!)

The voice in Indigo's head is comic, irreverent and sounds just like Dave Chapelle. The voice tells Indigo that God is omnipotent and can do what she wants. She can make a bet if she wants because she's God. At one point, God responds, "duh." Indigo tells the voice there's no way God would say Duh, but the voice retorts that it invented language and it can say whatever it wants.

Alfred, Indigo, Violet and God (Dave Chapelle) are characters that will stay with readers long after
closing the pages. The bond between sisters and the entire familial vibe is so perfect that Davis better be looking to bring this story to screen, and no one is better at it than her! (Dana L. Davis is an actress and Hollywood insider).

The Voice in My Head is on its way to award season! I predict several state awards including Texas Lone Star list (grades 6-8) and/or Texas Tayshas list (grade 9-12). I predict The Voice in My Head will be on @Cybils Fiction shortlist and top 10 Teen Fiction (and I'm never wrong)!

Highly, highly recommended grade 7 and up. Suicide, assisted suicide, and death. Discussion questions are included as are resources for suicide prevention. The family is religious and God plays an important part in this book. The Voice in My Head is perfect for private and parochial schools and church reading groups. No profanity, violence or sex.

FTC Required Reading: I received the book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

High School Pick: Nice Try, Jane Sinner

Nice Try, Jane Sinner
by Lianne Oelke
Clarion Books
2018
436 pages
ISBN: 9780544867857

Jane Sinner is a character that most readers will never forget. She is at a crossroads when she begins writing her diary and readers learn that Jane has been asked to leave high school because of an "event" she refers to but doesn't share the details until much later in the book. In order to find herself, free herself from her family and her parents' constant hovering, Jane enrolls in a local community college and takes a psychology course. She also sees a chance to escape her house and her younger sister Carol. Jane is accepted into a campus low budget reality show that another student film maker is filming and posting to YouTube. The grand prize is a used car and one perk of the show is contestants share a crumby house for low rent. Jane's bedroom is a small mattress separated by a sheet from others. There is no privacy and cameras roll 24/7.

Jane is excited to be "free" and writes her feelings and the events of the house and competition in her diary. It is here that Jane shines. She is self-deprecating, snarky, intelligent to the point of genius level, and over the top competitive. Jane wants to win and because of it, she is dangerous. She sizes up her competition and when she sees a way to win she takes it. Her antics at the paintball competition are comic genius and will have readers laughing out loud. She pretends to partner with others, but shoots them in the back and pretends that someone else shot them. And better yet, she is able to get away with it.

Some of the entries are imagined conversations with Jane's fake psychiatrist. Her answers to him are downright hysterical and his pseudo-psycho babble are brilliant. Jane has not attended her real therapy sessions and it is probably not helping her through her transition from high school to college and her problems that caused "the event." Fans of reality television will compare this novel to "Big Brother" and "The Real World."

The novel is tagged as "Christian" by Amazon and Barnes and Noble, but if readers are looking for an uplifting experience about God, Nice Try, Jane Sinner isn't that book.

Highly recommended for grade 9 and up. American readers will probably like the book's setting at a community college in Canada. Some mental health topics, profanity, sex, drugs, drinking.

YA Pick: Eden Summer (Guest Review Sandy Brandon)

Eden Summer
by Liz Flanagan
David Fickling Books
2017
288 pages
ISBN: 9781338121209

Guest Review by Sandy Brandon, Library Media Specialist, Montwood Middle School in El Paso, Texas. Follow Sandy on Twitter @SBrandon_MMS

Eden Holby seems to have it all. She's beautiful, popular and fun. She has a dedicated group of friends, a boyfriend who adores her and a family who loves her. Or so it seems. Then personal tragedy hits and Eden disappears. Jess, Eden's best friend, is an expert on all things Eden and she makes it her mission to find her. Unfortunately, Jess doesn't know why Eden went missing or where she might be. Will she find her alive or is it already too late?

Eden Summer is intense from the beginning and builds throughout the novel. Eden and Jess are believable high school girls facing typical his school drama and harsh realities of real life. Though Eden is missing from the start of the story, she is a very real presence in this novel. Friendships are tested and secrets are revealed. It is a fast-paced read and excitement builds. Mystery readers will enjoy this high school detective drama. This is a real page-turner and most readers will likely read it in one sitting.

Recommended grade 9 and up due to social issues  and suicide.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review nor did the guest reviewer.

YA Pick: The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett
Sourcebooks Fire
Chelsea Sedoti
2017
400 pages
ISBN: 9781492636083

Available January 2017

Twisted and taut, The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett will pull at your heartstrings, make you angry, and leave you breathless. Set in a small town that nobody cares about and where nothing interesting ever happens, the story opens with the disappearance of a popular cheerleader. Lizzie is the golden girl that every boy dreams about and every girl tries to be or at least align herself with in the glorified atmosphere that surrounds Lizzie.

Introvert, passive Hawthorn throws  herself into the search for clues in Lizzie's disappearance. Although she hates Lizzie and is secretly jealous of her, Hawthorn will do anything--literally--to find the truth.  Driven by curiosity and a strange passion for wild storytelling, Hawthorn paints a picture of what might have happened to Lizzie.

Did she just disappear? Or did someone wish her harm? Hawthorn does not buy the idea that Lizzie's boyfriend Enzo did it. Maybe Lizzie somehow magically shed her human form and became a wolf. She was--after all--fascinated by wolves. Hawthorn begins to research werewolf lore obsessed with the idea that something magical must have happened to Lizzie.

In order to carry out her ruse, Hawthorn takes a job (Lizzie's old job) at a nearby diner. There she meets tortured musician and Lizzie's ex-boyfriend Enzo. Now Hawthorn is in the position she's always wanted. She is living Lizzie's charmed life. She has the boyfriend and the job.

The closer Hawthorn gets to  Enzo, the more she finds herself falling in love with him. This is all wrong. Enzo is an adult--several years older than Hawthorn. That, and the possibility that he's a murderer should be enough to give Hawthorn a pause, but it doesn't. If anything, it seems to drive her into his arms. Hawthorn's thoughts are  almost too painful to read at this point.


Hawthorn has a difficult time processing what really happened to Lizzie. With her imaginative storytelling behind her, Hawthorn is forced to face facts. How many times does a person lie to herself and to others? What if your entire persona is a lie? What if reality and persona are completely at odds? Wise Yoda-like hippie Sundog tells Hawthorn, "You only know the part of the story people want you to see."

The book comes to an end with Hawthorn learning about real life, not the magical dream world she seems to have built. The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett is difficult to digest. It will haunt readers long after they have finished the book.

Recommended grade 9-up. Teen behavior, mean girls, bullying, mature content, teen sex.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Book Club Pick: The Hand That Feeds You

The Hand That Feeds You
by A.J. Rich
Scribner
2015
273 pages
ISBN: 9781476774589


Gruesome and terrible, The Hand That Feeds You is a psychological thriller that delivers a quick one-two punch. Graduate student Morgan Prager is finishing her thesis at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. She meets her fiancé Bennett through her studies (almost unbelievable that a woman of her intellect would date someone she met in the way she found him--but then some women are crazy). Although he can be commanding, assertive and downright mean, Morgan tells herself she is in love with Bennett. She comes home from class one morning and finds the front door open. She fears Bennett may have left the door open accidentally and worries that her three dogs may be loose. Bennett never liked her dogs and Morgan thinks he may have left the door open on purpose.

Entering the apartment, she is overjoyed to see her dogs alive but they are acting strange. Their coats are red with blood. Morgan starts operating on adrenaline and shock. She finds the body of a man she thinks may have been Bennett. It's too hard to tell because the body has been mauled, the face mutilated and a leg torn off. Morgan begins to  fear what her dogs could do to her. They obviously killed once, what if they turn on her? She backs away and locks herself in the bathroom, calls 911 and waits for help to arrive.

How could this have happened? Could her dogs really have killed Bennett? One of her Dobermans is shot by a police officer. The female  Doberman and Cloud, her Great  Pyrenees are taken into custody. Morgan is taken to the psych ward where she struggles to come to terms with the loss of her fiancée, the horrific bloody scene, and the guilt she feels for allowing her dogs to be in this situation.

Once released Morgan searches for Bennett's mother and father. When she finds only dead ends, she has to ask herself: who was this guy I fell in love with? He has no past and no family. There is no record of him being a music producer. In fact, he seems to be a ghost. Then Morgan finds other women who were duped by Bennett, including one who was recently murdered. The police are no help. Morgan turns to her brother and other close friends.

The closer Morgan comes to the truth and the release of her dogs, the deeper the secrets. Could someone have used her dogs to kill Bennett? Who is the real killer? And is he  now after her?

The Hand That Feeds you rockets off the first chapters. By the middle of the story, I felt a bit bogged down and wanted answers to come.  On the other hand, I felt the ending a little rushed.

As a dog owner and rescuer, The Hand That Feeds You really got under my skin. The ick factor creeped me out entirely. It was not just that the dogs attacked and killed; it was that they were then locked up in a terrible environment.

Recommended for adult readers. If you love animals, you may want to pass on this one. I just can't get over it!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

HIgh School Pick: Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls

Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls
by Lynn Weingarten
Simon Pulse
2015
325 pages
ISBN: 9781481418539

Dark, disturbing, defiant, thrilling and taut, Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls will keep readers guessing until the very last page. The symbolism of the three burnt matches on the cover will catch the eyes of teen browsers,  but the story and the characters will keep them reading.

Best friends June and Delia drift away from each other, and nearly a year later June is saddened and horrified to learn of Delia's death. June knows it wasn't suicide and she will not stop until she has answers.

As June begins to investigate, she finds out deeply disturbing things about her "friend." Delia was not just keeping secrets, she was lying and doing much, much worse. Just who was this girl that June befriended? No one is who they seem to be in Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls and that's the darkness (in a  good way) of this book.

Delia is a case study in friendly sociopath. She manipulates, lies, cheats and controls without any shame. She has no conscience and no soul. She asks everything, forgives nothing, and walks away from trouble and even love. June is easily coerced allowing the vibrant Delia to lead the way. Delia is a white hot supernova that will soon burn out, and June is left with mere sparks of dying stardust.

I loved the premise of the story and the first part of the book really raced along. It gets weird in the middle and weirder still at the end. Love triangles and blackmail, deception, deceit and hatred cause all the characters to act with June being the likely loser.

This is one book not for middle school. Profanity, gender identity, sex, violence, underage drinking, bad behavior. Recommended for grade 9-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

High School Pick: Stand Off

Stand Off (Sequel to Winger)
by Andrew Smith
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division
2015
416 pages
ISBN: 9781481418294

Available September 8, 2015

Andrew Smith's earlier book Winger was gut-wrenching, heart breaking, soul saddening, and grief-bound , so much so, that I worried about  Ryan Dean West. He is that kid you can't help but love. That kid you root for and want to befriend. Could Ryan Dean lose a best friend and go on? Could he pick up the pieces and be whole again? Thank goodness I was not the only reader who had questions about Ryan Dean. The answers lie in Stand Off. Ryan Dean is back at Pine Mountain as a senior  and Annie is now his actual girlfriend. Ryan misses Joey greatly. He has not yet come to terms with his loss and he suffers from guilt and anxiety attacks. He worries that NATE (Next Accidental Terrible Experience)  will follow him around forever.

That would be bad enough but the headmaster decides to send in 12-year old student Sam Abernathy to become Ryan Dean's new roomie.  Ryan Dean can't believe it! A twelve year old?! The headmaster thought that Ryan Dean would get along and guide Sam since Ryan Dean came to the school a few years back at the same age. Sam suffers from claustrophobia and insists that the window be open at all times---even in freezing weather! And he watches cooking shows non-stop! Ryan Dean struggles with Sam's cheerful Disney outlook and chirpy squirrel-y voice. And when Sam becomes the manager for the rugby team, Ryan Dean can't escape the happy-go-lucky kid at all.

Annie finds Ryan Dean's rants silly and mean. She asks him to be nice to Sam. She reminds him that when he came to Pine Mountain he was the youngest and smallest boy there. Ryan Dean slowly...ever so slowly warms up to Sam.

Sometimes friendship takes awhile and sometimes friends have been there all along. Ryan Dean re-evaluates his relationships with his teammates and Sam. Growing up is difficult and graduating is scary, but Ryan Dean begins to realize how lucky he is.

I loved Stand Off. Sequels usually can't compare to the first book, but Andrew Smith has another winner on his hands. Ryan Dean is my FAVORITE YA protagonist of all time and I'll say it again: Watch out, Holden Caulfield!

If you don't know Andrew Smith, what are you waiting for? 100 Sideways Miles and Grasshopper Jungle are also sublime reads.

Highly, highly recommended for fans of Andrew Smith. I'm sure his fan club is growing by the nanosecond. Grade 9-up. Amazon has age 12-up and grade 7-up in "product details."

WARNING: profanity, Ryan Dean thinks of sex A LOT, mature content make this book suitable for grade 9-up in my opinion.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Teen Pick: Backlash

Backlash
by Sarah Darer Littman
Scholastic Press
2014
336 pages
ISBN: 9780545651264

Available March 31, 2015



The trouble with the Internet is that in the click of a mouse, you can ruin lives. One click, and someone can die. One click, and someone is destroyed. One click, and someone can crack. On some sites, you can disguise who you are. You can pretend to be someone that you're not. With no repercussions unless...someone is hurt or someone dies. Then there's an investigation. As in police investigation.

Teen  neighbors Lara and Bree were BFFs in middle school, but Bree joins the ranks of the popular kids in high school and all but ignores old friend Lara completely. Bree becomes a cheerleader and Lara gets lost in the shuffle. At the next year's tryouts both girls try out. Lara is picked for the squad and she's over the moon with happiness. Bree is not picked for the squad and she drips jealousy and is out for revenge. Who knows Lara better than anyone else? Her old BFF, and she's up to no good. She begins her revenge using the Internet and it becomes bigger than her. Now she can't stop the repercussions of things she's posted, and the saddest thing is--she's not all that sorry for the fallout she's caused.

It's neighbor against neighbor and the press and police are now involved.

A cautionary tale that is all too true in today's society of "post everything" and try to get more hits than anyone else. Popularity is defined by how many followers you have. Teens are thrilled when their tweets are re-tweeted and to be "trending" is their ultimate obsession.

Recommended grade 9-up. Really, really bad behavior and bullying.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Mystery Pick: Spies and Prejudice

Spies and Prejudice
by Talia Vance
Egmont
2013
296 pages

Charming, captivating, and cute, Spies and Prejudice will thrill teen and tween readers who like a  light romance mixed with a mystery for good measure.

Working as an undercover spy, Berry's job is to gather "dirt" on cheating husbands and insurance frauds. She stakes out her "marks," and shoots photos as evidence in divorce hearings or for insurance companies. While working on her latest case, Berry meets drop dead gorgeous Adonis-like Tanner Halston. Berry doesn't have time for a boyfriend, and even if she did, it wouldn't be Mr. Universe.


Berry spots her friend's father in the parking lot and notices he has a letter about her  mother. What would Mr. Moss be doing with a letter about Berry's mom? Her mother has been dead for eight years--her death ruled an accident. Now, Berry wants answers. And she's a girl trained in covert operations.

With the help of Drew, a quiet, brooding friend she met at the library, Berry sneaks into Mr. Moss's home office. The deeper Berry digs, the more confused she gets.

Tanner works to get Berry to give him a chance, and their funny banter is utterly charming. Every time Berry gets a dig in, Tanner makes points. Berry finds herself liking Tanner more and more even though she won't admit it...even to herself.

Berry will do anything to find out how her mother died. She will sacrifice friendships and make a deal with the devil. In over her head, it's hard for her to tell who is a friend and who is an enemy.

Readers will want more, and the ending certainly leaves the door open for a continued series. Talia Vance has written a winning novel that is sure to entertain.  Clever cover art is designed to draw in teen readers--who doesn't love a spy in a trench coat?

Highly, highly recommended grade 7-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

High School Pick: A Really Awesome Mess

A Really Awesome Mess
by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin
Egmont
2013
288 pages

Available July 23, 2013

Poignant and true, laugh out loud hilarious and  at the same time gut-wrenchingly sad, A Really Awesome Mess is the story of two broken teens who are desperate for answers even if they think they have life all figured out.

Emmy is sent to Heartland Academy when she pulls a prank on a male student. Her parents are mortified and realize that Emmy needs help. Emmy is angry; she has never fit in with her "perfect" American family. Her parents and sister are tall and white. Emmy is adopted from China--not tall, not white-- and while she is grateful for her opportunity to live a "normal" life, in the back of her mind she wonders what happened to her real mother. Who could walk away from her own child? Emmy harbors resentment that she's not the perfect American daughter and feels like her white parents love their own natural child more than her.

Justin is sent to Heartland Academy when his rich father catches him in an embarrassing situation with a girl and Justin takes a handful of Tylenal and lands in the emergency room. Heartland counselors work with Justin on his anger issues. Rounding out the group of teen misfits is Mohammed--an angry, aggressive kid from Sierra Leone--who is pretending to be something he's not, Jenny  who refuses to speak--she has "selective mutism," Chip--a real "tool"  and Diana--the girl who likes to stir things up. The group has to work together for one week and get no demerits to begin to earn extra phone and Ipad time. The kids are on their best behavior and some of them are doing better than they have ever done.

Told in alternating chapters by Emmy and Justin, A Really Awesome Mess captures teen angst and anger at its best and at its worst. A trip to the fair turns manic when the kids "rescue" pigs--and it reminded me a bit of Bless the Beasts and the Children. Readers who like novels told from the male and female point of view will like this novel. Readers who liked Notes From the Blender--Cook's and Halpin's first venture--will likely enjoy their second novel.

Highly, highly recommended for grade 9-up. Language, mature situations, sexual situations, snarky, bad teen behavior. Not for middle school!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Creepy Pick: The Murmurings

The Murmurings
by Carly Anne West
Simon Pulse
2013
370 pages

Sometimes a book is so strange, so chilling and creepy, it stays with you. The Murmurings is that book. Be forewarned.

Sophie's sister Nell is found dead and Sophie knows it wasn't suicide. Nell kept hearing voices in her head before she was admitted for treatment to Oakside. She ran away  from the hospital and was found hanging upside down from a tree near an old ghost town. Sophie misses her once popular and beautiful sister; she worries that she might be going crazy, too. Sophie is starting to hear the murmurings and she can't concentrate or sleep.

Sophie wishes her mother would snap out of it. Since her sister's death, her mother has turned to alcohol and depression, rarely leaving the house, forgetting to eat, and barely existing. Sophie can't turn to her mother for help because her mother is not cognizant.  Evan, a football player from school, shows interest in Sophie--they study together and have a picnic; Evan reveals he has lost his cousin Deb; she was once a patient at Oakside, too. Evan and Sophie begin to investigate the hospital.

Just what is going on at that "hospital?"What secrets did Nell uncover? Did someone from the hospital kill Nell? Evan show Sophie a blog he's discovered online that explains the murmurings and exposes the hospital and evil Dr. Keller. Sophie decides to get answers, putting herself in grave danger and opening a door for the Takers. When Sophie realizes  the secret identity of a patient  known only as MM, she can't wait any longer. If she doesn't save MM right now, MM may die.

The Taker reminds me of Harry Potter's deatheaters, both in appearance and behavior--the Taker is horribly grotesque and evil. It feeds on the soul and kills its victims.

Recommended for readers who love creepy books grade 9-up. No sex. Some language. F-bomb. Mature situations. 

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

High School Pick: Butter

Butter
by Erin Jade Lange
Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers
2012
294 pages

Poignant and real, Butter will resonate with teen readers who have ever had a weight problem or known someone who battles food demons.

For morbidly obese Marshall, life revolves around food. He can easily eat an entire bag of Doritos, a sack of M&Ms , a tub of ice cream and still have room for more. The saxophone is the only outlet he has from food--that, and chatting online with Anna. Anna thinks she’s talking to a boy from another school who plays the saxophone; she has no idea she’s talking to the fat kid in her class.

School is misery for Butter (Marshall). No one really talks to him, and he has no friends. He sits alone in the cafeteria, shunned by the pretty, the popular, and the slender. He has a special bench he sits on since he can’t fit in any of the regular seats.


Butter gets angry when he sees a news report of how an airline will begin charging overweight people for two seats instead of one. Butter sets up a website and calls it “butterslastmeal.” He invites others to comment on his plan to literally eat himself to death on New Year’s Eve.

He expects to get insults and rude comments, but instead he finds popularity for the first time. Mean guys who forced him to eat an entire stick of butter, and then nicknamed him Butter are now his BFF’s. They move his bench to their table and seemingly care about having an actual conversation with him. Students rally around Butter’s plan; they have a morbid fascination to see if Butter will go through with his suicide plan.

Anna is waiting for New Year’s Eve when she will finally meet “Saxman,” her internet crush. Butter plans to go to the party on New Year’s Eve where all the events will unravel. Will Butter go through with it? What if he does? What will happen if he doesn’t?

Highly recommended grade 8-up. Some language, some drinking at a party, coke is mentioned but no one actually has it or does it, bullying, and some mature themes. I purchased this book for the library but would warn others that the language issues and underage partying may be offensive.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for the library. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

High School Pick: My Beautiful Failure

My Beautiful Failure
by Janet Ruth Young
Antheneum Books for Young Readers
2012
304 pages

After his father’s sickness, Billy longs to help others. He signs up for Listeners, a suicide hotline advertised on billboards. His job is to listen and only listen to the voice on the other end of the line. He is not to offer any information about himself. He is not to get involved emotionally or meet the person face to face. His is not allowed to know personal information like the person’s last name or address.

That is until Jenney. Jenney is struggling. She is remembering repressed memories of child abuse and a crime so impossible it’s no wonder she suppressed it as a child. Her parents are monsters. The more Jenney remembers, the more she wants out. Billy tries desperately to help her. He waits for her calls, he longs for her voice, he believes he is the only one who can help Jenney save herself.

Jenney is Billy’s beautiful failure. She is the girl he falls in love with. She is broken and beyond repair.

Poignant and compassionate, My Beautiful Failure is not a “feel good” read. Readers who love a tear-jerker with believable characters will love this YA novel. Girls will empathize with sensitive Billy and likely admire his bravery and capacity for caring.

Recommended grade 8-up. Adult themes. Child abuse, infanticide, and suicide.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Mythology Pick: Fury

Fury
Book 1, The Fury Trilogy
By Elizabeth Miles
Simon Pulse
2012
370 pages

Fury captivates from the first pages; teens are likely to be swept up in the teen gossip and behavior, popular cliques and mean girls, hot guys and buff athletes, Christmas parties and double dating. This novel is a guilty pleasure for “Gossip Girl” junkies.

Ascension High School has its “ins” and “outs,” and once you’re out there’s no getting back in. Chase has learned the hard way to put on a false front in order to be popular. No one gets too close to Chase—he doesn’t want them to know his family’s problems and poverty. He pretends to be part of the rich crowd and playing football has made him part of their crew.

Em is happy that Zach is finally noticing her, but she can’t give in to her own selfish passions. Zach is her best friend’s boyfriend after all. Three beautiful and mysterious girls keep showing up on the scene and soon it’s pretty clear they’ll stop at nothing to get revenge.

Once you’re marked, you’re theirs. And they don’t forget. And they don’t forgive. Revenge is sweet.

The cover has beautiful teen eye appeal with the fire-red haired temptress, and this itself will likely help the book jump off book store shelves. The ending sets up nicely for the next in the series. Although the book is supposed to be about revenge and the Furies, they are only a small part. I expected them to make an earlier and more pronounced presence. Maybe book 2 will unleash their full potential.

Recommended grades 9-up. Some talk of sex, teen partying, drinking, bad behavior, suicide. Not for middle school.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Now in Paperback: Give a Boy a Gun

Give a Boy a Gun
by Todd Strasser
Simon & Schuster
2012 (new paperback edition)
224 pages

Riveting, terrifying, and tragically true, the statistics used in this haunting new ya novel should scare everyone living in America. Every day, thousands of students are bullied in our schools, and every day, some kid might snap. What happens when enough is finally enough? And what can be done to prevent it?

Ask the kids who were at Columbine. Ask the kids who attend Chardon High School in Ohio where on February 27, 2012, a student wounded five other students, three of whom later died. These are not isolated examples. Strasser includes facts and statistics from various sources as footnotes to the story of Ryan, Brendon, and Gary, three friends who are not popular or athletes at their high school. They are not the "in" crowd, and they dread coming to school every day.

This fact comes from Rolling Stone, 6/10/99: "In 1996, handguns alone killed 15 people in Japan, 30 in Great Britain, 106 in Canada, and 9,390 in the United States." It illustates the growing gun problem in America. Our teens know how easy it is to obtain a weapon. According to one statistic, 12% of American students have seen another student with a gun at school.


The three boys are constantly bullied and harrassed on a daily basis. Teachers do nothing to stop it other than say to the popular kids, "Hey, guys, cut it out." There is no back-up and no consequences. Gary chooses to fight back. Gary grows increasingly darker and practices with video shooting games, even buying a gun from another student. It is his descent into vile hatred and blind rage that carries the story.

Readers know that nothing but tragedy can come from Gary's actions, yet he is like a wounded animal himself. The daily barrage of tiny abuses multiply and grow exponentially in his mind.

This is not a feel-good story. It's a story that one hopes will make people pay attention to the facts that weaker people get bullied and they can only take so much.

Recommmeded for teens who like realistic fiction with an edge. Grades 9-up. Language, violence, guns.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Book Giveaway: Cracked (Guy Pick)

Watch the book trailer here

I have 5 copies of this great new ya novel that speaks to bullies and victims everywhere. Bullies are merely victims of their upbringing in many cases. See the review of Cracked here.

Even though I called this "Guy Pick," girl readers will like the story, too. High school recommended; not for middle school readers.

Post a comment with your first name, city and state. Please include your email so I can notify you in case you win. Deadline for posting is March 1 at noon MST. I will notify winners after noon on that date. Please check your email. You have 24 hours to respond to my email with your mailing address. Books will ship from New York thanks to Simon & Schuster and Dawn! Good luck and start posting! Pamela

Guy Pick: Cracked

Cracked
by K.M. Walton
Simon Pulse
2012
312 pages

A bully and his target are on a collision course with destiny. Victor and Bull (William) go to the same school and Bull has harrassed Victor since grade school. He goes out of his way to call him names, bump into him, smashes his face in his cafeteria food, pantsed him in front of the entire p.e. class, including the girls, and beats on him nearly daily. Victor hates Bull--he wishes he would die--that some parent in a big SUV would run him down on the way to school.

What Victor doesn't know is that Bull is bullied, too--by his drunken mother and his mean, abusive grandpa who uses his fists to do his talking. Not that it would matter; Victor is bullied at home, too--only verbally. His parents say demeaning things to him, they never compliment him, only berate him for his stupidity, telling him that they never planned for him, wishing he wasn't ever born. His beautiful "perfect" family goes to church every Sunday and appears the picture of "happy" family, yet Victor knows that no one has ever loved him except his toy poodle Jazzy.

Everyone has a breaking point and both boys are nearing theirs. When Bull has finally had enough and won't take his Pop's beatings anymore and when Victor finds his beloved poodle Jazzy dead of old age, the two boys break.

As luck would have it, they both end up in a psych ward of the local hospital...wait for it...as roommates!

For Bull, being around other kids with problems is helpful. He gains some insight into others' lives and wonders why he can't talk about his feelings like some of the other kids. He is even jealous of Victor who tells a girl about Jazzy dying. He keeps getting lunch bags with snacks in them and one time a nice note and a poem about hope from Frank, the grounds-keeper at the cemetary where he used to go when he ditched school, sitting under a tree and reading books. He didn't know that Frank ever even saw him, but now Frank is leaving him uplifting notes. He wonders why a poem can mean so much.

Readers will empathize with Victor and Bull--both boys have rotten lives and awful parents. Even though Victor grows up in the "lap of luxury," he is unloved. He feels like "nothing." He feels invisible. Bull remembers the last time he had a piece of fruit--3rd grade! Bull's mother is a pitiful alcoholic who spends their food money on booze; there's never anything--and I mean nothing--to eat in their home.

The hospital staff and nurses help and the group sessions make both boys see the others have pain, too. Victor finally finds his voice and really tells Bull off in a venomous, but cathartic, rant. Bull realizes his actions have impacted another human being.

I found myself crying a few times while reading this novel. Both boys endure horrible childhoods, but there is hope for both when they leave the hospital. Have the tissues ready; you're going to cry! Even though I titled this "Guy Pick," sensitive girls will enjoy this novel as well.

Highly, highly recommended grades 9-up. Language, petting, alcoholism, child abuse, mature situations.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not received monetary compensation for this review.

High School Pick: Slide--An Uber-Cool Mystery Thriller!

Slide
by Jill Hathaway
Balzer + Bray
2012
256 pages

Available March 27, 2012

Clever, captivating, and complex, Slide is a solid page-turner and an uber-cool teen mystery. Vee has a weird problem--sometimes she passes out and "slides" into the body of someone else. She starts to feel queasy and sick and can't control when it will happen or who she will slide into, but when she slides and sees Sophie's lifeless body and a knife in her/the killer's hand, she knows that Sophie didn't commit suicide. Someone killed Sophie, but everyone else thinks she took her own life. If only Vee had seen the killer's face!

Sophie was friends with Mattie, Vee's younger sister, and Amber. The three girls were popular cheerleaders but Mattie and Amber were plotting something right before Sophie died. It's up to Vee to figure out who is responsible for Sophie's death. She suspects both Mattie and Amber have something to do with it, and she would put solid money on it that Scotch, Sophie's tool of a boyfriend is guilty, too.

That isn't her only problem--since her mother's death years ago, Vee's father has become a workaholic--spending every waking hour at the hospital--he is now an absent parent. When his daughter Mattie needs a parent the most, he is absent and Vee has to step in. Vee's best male friend Rollins is acting strange, too. He's pushing her away and hiding some secret from her, and now Vee worries he may be involved in Sophie's death. Then Amber is shot to death on the school football field. Two cheerleaders are dead and parents and students are fearful. Who will die next?

Police have a few suspects including Mr. Golden, a teacher who has questionable relationships with a number of students. Vee has her own suspicions.

Zane is a new student who develops an instant interest in Vee. The more time she spends with Zane, the bigger the rift becomes between Vee and Rollins. Then Vee discovers a secret; her father's past is about to surface and threatens their safety.

With more plot twists and turns that a Rocky Mountain road, this novel will appeal to mystery fans. I know I've mentioned a lot of characters, but it's easy to keep them straight when reading this novel. Girls who watch "Pretty Little Liars" will relish this quick and scintillating read.

Bad girl behavior and high school pranks, sexting, sexual talk, drinking, language, sexual harrassment, extra-marital affairs, murder, suicide, and just plain bad high school behavior and bad adult behavior make this novel suitable for upper grades.

Highly, highly recommended and readable for high school readers grades 9-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Romantic Pick: The Catastrophic History of You & Me

The Catastrophic History of You & Me
by Jess Rothenberg
Dial
2012
400 pages (page count from Amazon)

Available February 21, 2012

Heart-breakingly tragic, yet heroic, beautifully romantic, but weepy, The Catastrophic History of You & Me will make readers think about the after-life with fresh insight and respect the fragile nature of human life.

Brie is only sixteen when her heart breaks--literally in two. Her heart specialist father can't believe that a usually healthy 16-year old could die of a heart problem and there is no medical way her heart could break in two, yet those are the medical facts. Brie arrives in a pizza shop--of all places--where a few teens are hanging out and a cross crossword puzzle lady seems to be in charge. Is this the afterlife? A pizza shop?

Patick is another lost soul at the pizza shop who helps Brie deal with D & G--dead and gone. She must go through the five stages of grief to face forever after, but Brie just wants to go home.

Who knows how one death will affect the others left behind. It is the people Brie knew, the people she touched who are still grieving. Jacob, the boy who broke her heart, blames himself. He was trying to explain something of great importance to her about himself, but he chose the wrong words, telling her, "I don't love you..." and then she died. He didn't have time to explain how he came to that conclusion or why it wasn't her fault, or that he loves her still as a true friend and confidante. He literally carries her death on his shoulders.

Brie's father blames himself and drives himself crazy with guilt and drives a wedge between himself and his family. Brie's friends are heartbroken, too.

What if, for a few short hours, you could return to life and right all the wrongs before you had to report to back to "ever after?" Could you help the living people deal with loss? Could you right the wrongs and offer hope? Could you help save someone's life?

This novel will stick with readers long after reading it. Keep plenty of tissues on hand--this novel is a true weeper! Poetic writing, brilliant flashes of humor, beautifully executed dialog, and sigh-ing-ly gorgeous Patrick will have teen hearts racing (hopefully not breaking in two).

Highly, highly recommended grades 9-up. Teen suicide, homosexuality issues, mature theme.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this book.

Chick Pick: Moonglass

Moonglass
by Jessi Kirby
Simon & Schuster
2011
232 pages

Poignant, touching, and fresh, Moonglass is a triumph of a first novel. Anna is only seven when her mother walks out into the surf and drowns. Now at age sixteen, her father is uprooting Anna to go live in the small beach town of Crystal Cove, California. Anna is not looking forward to the move--she doesn't want to make new friends or live in a new place.

Things start to look up when she sees the beachfront cottage they get to live in. The next day she meets a motormouth girl named Ashley who assures her that they will be BFF's and she meets Tyler, a hot lifeguard. Maybe this won't be such a bad place after all.

Sadly, Anna keeps remembering the night her mother walked into the ocean--maybe it's because they are now living in the little town where her parents met and fell in love. What was it that her mother was looking for in the surf? Why are some of the cottages abandoned? Who is the strange man who crawls the beach every day? Why is Joy so interested in telling Anna about her mother?

Part romance, part mystery, but all mesmerizing, Moonglass is a sure winner.

Highly recommended ages 12-up. Some skinny-dipping but no graphic details, no sex.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.