Submitted by Brighton, teen reviewer:
Speechless is about a sophomore in high school named Chelsea, who can't keep a secret whatsoever. On New Year's Eve, Chelsea is at a party and is drunk, and runs into the master bedroom to use the bathroom in there, where she walks in on Noah and Andy making out. Noah and Andy leave, embarrassed. Chelsea tells her friends Kristin, Warren, and Joey. Joey and Warren leave to find Noah, and end up beating him nearly lifeless. Noah spends the rest of the book in the hospital.
Chelsea tells the cops what Warren and Joey did, causing everyone to hate her and terrorize her horribly... everyone except for Asha. Asha becomes Chelsea's best friend, and eventually introduces her to Sam (Noah's best friend). Chelsea falls for Sam, but can't tell him because she took a vow of silence when she reported Warren and Joey's crime to the cops. Chelsea visits Noah in the hospital to apologize and he even forgives her. Later, at Winter Formal, popular guy Brendan gets voted Snow King and hands his crown over to Noah. Chelsea finally speaks, and she, Asha, Noah, Andy, and Sam all live happily ever after.
P.J. O'Rourke advises "Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it."
Let Galesburg Public Library staff and friends guide you in finding those books.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Ask the Passengers by A.S. King
Astrid Jones' feels like life is beyond her control. Her mother somehow manages to be both distant and wildly overbearing, her father deals with his unhappiness by disappearing into a bong, and her love life? Let's just say it's complicated. Astrid is falling in love for the first time, but she's keeping it a secret, primarily because the person she's falling in love with is a girl. Astrid doesn't know for sure what that means -- is she gay? is she just experimenting? -- but she knows she'd like the freedom to figure it out, without having to fit into one of the many boxes everyone in her life keeps trying to force her into.
I thought this was a wonderful book, perfect for teens (gay, straight, or questioning) who are struggling to figure out who they are in the midst of an onslaught of societal pressures. A.S. King does a great job of making Astrid's sexuality a part of the complexities of her character without using it as a defining characteristic, something that I think is important to the novel's message. A secondary storyline in which Astrid sends love up to passengers flying overhead in airplanes (yes, it is as random as it sounds) is the book's sole weakness for me.
Ask the Passengers is available in October, 2012.
I thought this was a wonderful book, perfect for teens (gay, straight, or questioning) who are struggling to figure out who they are in the midst of an onslaught of societal pressures. A.S. King does a great job of making Astrid's sexuality a part of the complexities of her character without using it as a defining characteristic, something that I think is important to the novel's message. A secondary storyline in which Astrid sends love up to passengers flying overhead in airplanes (yes, it is as random as it sounds) is the book's sole weakness for me.
Ask the Passengers is available in October, 2012.
Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown
Submitted by Jordan, teen reviewer:
Lies Beneath is about a guy named Calder who is a merman. He and his mermaid sisters have devoted most of their lives to hunting down the man they accuse of killing their mother. Calder's sisters develop a plan to get this man, Jason Hancock: they want Calder to seduce Jason's teenage daughter, Lily. But the plan goes horribly wrong because Calder and Lily fall in love. Calder's sisters get mad and decide to try to kill Lily and her family, and the book comes to a very suspenseful climax!
This book's plot sounds weird and kind of dumb, but it's actually not. I'd probably recommend it to anyone, because it was really interesting.
Lies Beneath is about a guy named Calder who is a merman. He and his mermaid sisters have devoted most of their lives to hunting down the man they accuse of killing their mother. Calder's sisters develop a plan to get this man, Jason Hancock: they want Calder to seduce Jason's teenage daughter, Lily. But the plan goes horribly wrong because Calder and Lily fall in love. Calder's sisters get mad and decide to try to kill Lily and her family, and the book comes to a very suspenseful climax!
This book's plot sounds weird and kind of dumb, but it's actually not. I'd probably recommend it to anyone, because it was really interesting.
Buddy by M.H. Herlong
Submitted by Sam, teen reviewer:
Ever since he was small, "Li'l T" wanted a dog. He told everyone that. One day, as Li'l T and his family were on their way to church, they hit a stray dog. Li'l T decided it was destiny. Then, Hurricane Katrina happened and Li'l T had to leave the dog, named Buddy, behind. When they returned home, Li'l T was working really hard to find Buddy. To see if he finds him or not, you'll have to read the book.
Ever since he was small, "Li'l T" wanted a dog. He told everyone that. One day, as Li'l T and his family were on their way to church, they hit a stray dog. Li'l T decided it was destiny. Then, Hurricane Katrina happened and Li'l T had to leave the dog, named Buddy, behind. When they returned home, Li'l T was working really hard to find Buddy. To see if he finds him or not, you'll have to read the book.
My Book of Life By Angel, by Martine Leavitt
Submitted by Sam, teen reviewer:
One day Angel, the 16-year-old main character of My Book of Life By Angel, went to the mall and met a guy. He saw her break a rule there and offered to buy her food. Eventually he convinced her to let him buy her Chinese. Every day after that she went to the mall and he was there. His name was Call. He continued to buy Angel food. Then Call began giving Angel drugs, and she got kicked out of her house. She moved in with Call. For awhile Call got everything he wanted from Angel -- that was, until he brought a little kid home. Then Angel decided she had to save the little girl. To find out what happens, you'll have to read My Book of Life By Angel.
One day Angel, the 16-year-old main character of My Book of Life By Angel, went to the mall and met a guy. He saw her break a rule there and offered to buy her food. Eventually he convinced her to let him buy her Chinese. Every day after that she went to the mall and he was there. His name was Call. He continued to buy Angel food. Then Call began giving Angel drugs, and she got kicked out of her house. She moved in with Call. For awhile Call got everything he wanted from Angel -- that was, until he brought a little kid home. Then Angel decided she had to save the little girl. To find out what happens, you'll have to read My Book of Life By Angel.
Safekeeping by Karen Hesse
Submitted by Sarah, teen reviewer:
[Summary from the publisher] Radley’s parents had warned her that all hell would break loose if the American People's Party took power. And now, with the president assassinated and the government cracking down on citizens, the news is filled with images of vigilante groups, frenzied looting, and police raids. It seems as if all hell has broken loose. Coming back from volunteering abroad, Radley just wants to get home to Vermont, and the comfort and safety of her parents. Travel restrictions and delays are worse than ever, and by the time Radley’s plane lands in New Hampshire, she’s been traveling for over twenty-four hours. Exhausted, she heads outside to find her parents—who always come, day or night, no matter when or where she lands—aren’t there. Her cell phone is dead, her credit cards are worthless, and she doesn’t have the proper travel papers to cross state lines. Out of money and options, Radley starts walking. . . .
From Sarah: Safekeeping is a good book. The main character, Radley, is surprisingly realistic, except that she seems to be well versed in survival skills... which some people, well, weren't. About a third of the way through the book she meets Celia, a quiet, moody person with a dark back story. Like I said, this is a good book but it has some flaws, like how it skips at random times. For example, it might jump from having a good time at a river to days ahead, when Celia reveals her dark back story. Even with that, it is a good book and I would give it a 7 out of 10.
Safekeeping will be available in stores September 18, 2012.
[Summary from the publisher] Radley’s parents had warned her that all hell would break loose if the American People's Party took power. And now, with the president assassinated and the government cracking down on citizens, the news is filled with images of vigilante groups, frenzied looting, and police raids. It seems as if all hell has broken loose. Coming back from volunteering abroad, Radley just wants to get home to Vermont, and the comfort and safety of her parents. Travel restrictions and delays are worse than ever, and by the time Radley’s plane lands in New Hampshire, she’s been traveling for over twenty-four hours. Exhausted, she heads outside to find her parents—who always come, day or night, no matter when or where she lands—aren’t there. Her cell phone is dead, her credit cards are worthless, and she doesn’t have the proper travel papers to cross state lines. Out of money and options, Radley starts walking. . . .
From Sarah: Safekeeping is a good book. The main character, Radley, is surprisingly realistic, except that she seems to be well versed in survival skills... which some people, well, weren't. About a third of the way through the book she meets Celia, a quiet, moody person with a dark back story. Like I said, this is a good book but it has some flaws, like how it skips at random times. For example, it might jump from having a good time at a river to days ahead, when Celia reveals her dark back story. Even with that, it is a good book and I would give it a 7 out of 10.
Safekeeping will be available in stores September 18, 2012.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Cold Light by Jenn Ashworth
"Between interviews, they make us wait upstairs in a classroom. We're left alone but we're aware that in a nearby office we are being discussed."
So begins Cold Light, a riveting story of a death that took place 20 years earlier, as told by the best friend of the dead girl.
But what really happened? Did Chloe and her boyfriend commit suicide? If so, was it indeed for love? Or because of something else? Could she have been murdered? Who was Chloe...really? What is the truth? And who knows it?
So begins Cold Light, a riveting story of a death that took place 20 years earlier, as told by the best friend of the dead girl.
But what really happened? Did Chloe and her boyfriend commit suicide? If so, was it indeed for love? Or because of something else? Could she have been murdered? Who was Chloe...really? What is the truth? And who knows it?
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