Books You Can't Put Down: Wintergirls

Clare Recommends:

Wintergirls                                                                                              

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Lia is a wintergirl. Her best friend Cassie just died of bulimia, and now Lia is planning to join her. Anorexia is slowly eating her away, while her mother Dr. Marrigan is always busy, her dad is away on a business trip, and her stepmother is too clueless to even notice. Now Cassie's ghost is everywhere, along with the phrases: thin/thinner/thinnest, lose more/weigh less, and marshmallow/bitch/fatty/stupid girl. Now all Lia wants is to lose the fat that she believes is suffocating her thighs, her arms, her stomach. Maybe then she will truly disappear.

Clare's review

To be honest, this book scared the H___ out of me. The way Lia knew the calories of every food item she picked up was truly horrifying. And the way her thoughts would be crossed out and replaced was really freaky. In fact, once, when it got so intense I just couldn't take it, I got up and ate an entire bag of chips just because I didn't want to be that skinny. The way this book was written was amazing. The feelings you experience while reading are scary to a psychological point I never even imagined. Even now, reflecting on it, my stomach is curling in on itself. Once you pick up this book, you cannot put it down until you are absolutely done with it. It reaches out with thin, skeletal, blue veined, manicured hands to pull you in and keep you there until you have read it cover to cover. The characters are so well described that you begin to feel their pain, their worries, and their confusion with a clarity I doubt even they themselves have yet to reach. The sense of awe that you experience upon finishing this novel never lessens. It may be shoved to the back of your mind after a while, but it is always there. There will always be an awareness to what you eat, you might even begin to see ghosts in a different light. The lines and phrases that popped up everywhere, such as Cassie's dying words or the names Lia has been called was a touch of genius. I think it was those simple sentences that scared me more then anything else, although the entire book sent shivers down my spine.

The cover was awesome. No complaints. The Ice and frost obscuring that expressionless face was absolutely perfect.

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Clare Schuett is 13 and lives in Sebastopol California. She is a lover of books and a voracious reader. She reviews YA books, prior to their publication, for the American Library Association. We have the privilege of posting her reviews on our blog.

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Want to know more?  Visit:  http://amzn.to/9pllZl

Books You Can't Put Down: Bloody Jack

 

Clare Recommends:

Bloody Jack

By: L.A. Meyer

Young and orphaned, little Mary Faber joins a local London gang when the plague tears her family apart. She learns to swindle and steal, beg and fight. But when the chance arises to leave this life along with all the sad memories that came with it, she seizes it. Now, disguised as “Jacky” Faber, Ship’s Boy on the HMS Dolphin , must deal with the crew, her blossoming secret, and her growing attraction to fellow Ship’s Boy Jamie Fletcher.

Clare's Review:

Quality: 5 Stars (out of five)

      Bloody Jack is a series every girl must read. Romance, adventure, and accurate historical facts, this is the perfect summertime read. Jacky is a strong, stubborn heroin, and the intriguing plot will keep you enthused from beginning to end. The author’s expert hand deftly weaves a melody tight and suspenseful, but lenient and funny all the while. The quick pace carries the plot through thick and thin, there is never a stall in the story. The characters are so lovable, or easily hated depending on their role. You will find yourself gnashing your teeth in a few parts, there is as much bad as there is good on the Dolphin. It is a fantastic novel, and the best part is, the series only gets better. I read the entire thing in under two weeks, and now I am sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next book. 

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Clare Schuett is 13 and lives in Sebastopol California. She is a lover of books and a voracious reader. She reviews YA books, prior to their publication, for the American Library Association. We have the privilege of posting her reviews on our blog.

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Want to know more? Visit: Bloody Jack on Amazon

Books You Can't Put Down: King of the Screwups

Clare Recommends:

King of The Screwups                                                                             

by K.L. Going

Liam Geller is The King of The Screwups. He screws everything up. He even screws up at screwing up. His father is the CEO of a huge company, and his mother is a retired model whose face and figure is known across the planet. One day, Liam screws up, and his father kicks him out. He goes to live with his gay Glam-Rock uncle, Aunt Pete, in a trashed trailer park in upstate New York. Now he works to become as unpopular as possible, trying to become someone his father can be proud of. But his uncle and neighbor sees him as someone else, and Liam has to decide who he truly is.

Clare's review

This book was awesome. I was in hysterics the entire time it took me to read it. What made it great though, was that for all its giggles, it actually had some depth. There was fashion, romance, parties, fashion, Glam-Rock, and even a little bit about the gay community. And did I mention the fashion?  In the beginning, when Liam was kicked out, I immediately got the sense of what type of person his father was. I disliked him from the very first chapter. Also, when we met the uncle, Aunt Pete, I was totally aware of the tension between him and Liam from the first words that were exchanged between them. Another touch I thought was great were the flashbacks. Especially on the first page. It had me cringing. I thought those built up the background and really gave you the feel of what was going on. My favorite part was the fashion show in the store window. That would have been hilarious to see. All in all, this was one of the best books I've read yet this year, it was definitely worth the read.

The cover was O.K, though I think it could have been better. Maybe a designer shirt tied to a flagpole in front of a trailer. Or maybe that red dress. Something along those lines would be good. A bit more color too. The cover should leap out, for this is not a book that anyone should willingly pass.

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Clare Schuett is 13 and lives in Sebastopol California. She is a lover of books and a voracious reader. She reviews YA books, prior to their publication, for the American Library Association. We have the privilege of posting her reviews on our blog.

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Want to know more?  Visit: http://amzn.to/btl82e

 

Books You Can't Put Down: Wings

Clare Recommends:

Wings                                                                                               

by Aprilynne Pike   

When nature girl Laurel discovers a lump forming in the middle of her back, she figures that it is a pimple, and will eventually pop and go away. But when this pimple grows to the size of a softball, and suddenly sprouts huge petals that look like wings, Laurel discovers that she is a fairy, sent to live with the humans to guard the gate that leads into Fairyland.

Clare's review

This is the kind of book you just want to read over and over. It was like the perfect modern fairy tale. It has some rather Twilight-y concepts, like having lovers from both races. A human, and a fairy that Laurel apparently knew and loved before going to live with the humans. There were some twists that I would never have thought of, like fairies being actual plants, meaning that while they looked like normal people, though insanely beautiful of course, they were actually made of plant matter. In the beginning, the author really explains who laurel is, her relationship with her family, how much she loves nature, you just really get to no her. In fact, you get to know all the characters. I can't wait for the next book. I just hope its going to be as good as this one.

The cover was really cute. The way the petals were arranged so that you couldn't tell if they were wings or just fallen petals was cool. The colors and the simplicity of the cover really stands out.

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Clare Schuett is 13 and lives in Sebastopol California. She is a lover of books and a voracious reader. She reviews YA books, prior to their publication, for the American Library Association. We have the privilege of posting her reviews on our blog.

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Want to know more?  Visit:  http://amzn.to/cHSccr

Books You Can't Put Down: Scat

Clare Recommends:

SCAT

by Carl Hiaasen

    
When a teacher disappears in a swamp wildfire, Nick and Marta suspect foul play, but all the clues suggest otherwise. While the two high schoolers search for their missing teacher, a Florida panther has lost her cubs, and a new drilling company has quite a few schemes up their designer sleeves. And, of course, Nick and Marta are in the very center of it all.

Clare's review
  
I loved this book. In the beginning, when Dane bit the pencil in half, I had to stop reading for a while because I was laughing so hard. Also, when Twilly, from Sick Puppy, appeared, I thought it was cool how he brought those two books together. When you discover who set the fire and why, you realize how well the author tied so many concepts together. The story combines boyhood troubles, greedy politicians, environmental issues, and also brings to light the trust among friends. Another thing I liked was that in the end, when Nick is up in the tree with a broken arm, and the mama cat is right above him, the tension gets so high that you have to break down and giggle. The story was written in a funny, light-hearted and playful tone that captures the essence of the story perfectly.
  
I absolutely adore the cover. Simple, and straight to the point. The way the cat eyes the title cracked me up.

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Clare Schuett is 13 and lives in Sebastopol California. She is a lover of books and a voracious reader. She reviews YA books, prior to their publication, for the American Library Association. We have the privilege of posting her reviews on our blog.

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Want to know more?  Visit:  http://amzn.to/9gDBo

The Lost Art of Reading: Why Books Matter in a Distracted Time

The fomer book review editor for the L.A. Times David Ulin has a 15 year old son, Noah, who assures his father that literature is dead and that reading is 'over'.

We who relish words bristle at the thought.

Today on KQED's Forum program, host Michael Krasny interviewed Mr. Ulin on his thoughts about the ongoing relevance of literature in an age of digital distraction. Listen here: http://www.kqed.org/a/forum/R201010191000

To David Ulin his son's statements were like a knife thrust in the heart. The former book review editor of the Los Angeles Times: “almost asked for a towel to clean up the blood.”

The Lost Art of Reading: Why Books Matter in a Distracted Time (Sasquatch, Nov.) is not another screed against the information age. Rather, it is Ulin’s honest attempt to come to terms with Noah and with his own sense of “How do things stick to us in a culture where information and ideas flare up so quickly that we have no time to assess one before another takes its place? How does reading maintain its hold on our imagination, or is the question even worth asking anymore?” - taken from Publisher's Weekly Blog at http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/PWxyz/?p=2387

A topic worth pondering.