Bleed by Laurie Stolarz

If I had to describe this book in one word it would be strange or weird but in a good way. Stolarz tells the stories of 10 different teenagers who are interconnected in one way or another. Nicole sleeps with Sean, her best friend Kelly's boyfriend, while Kelly is in California meeting a convicted felon, Robby, she had been writing to for a few years. Robby's meeting with Kelly scares Kelly away and Joy, their waitress, who wants true intamacy almost goes all the way with Robby. Maria bribes Sadie into going out for ice cream, but first Sadie needs to cut Maria to prove her friendship. Sadie is overweight and her sister Ginger is jelous of Kelly even though Ginger doesn't know Kelly. Derick thinks he can get any girl and meets Mearl in the diner that his family owns. Later in the day Mearl runs into Maria and after that encounter thinks that she has started to plant roots. In all of the stories there is blood or the allusion of blood. It seems that Stolarz is saying that if we bleed we know we are alive, no matter what our lives are like.

Also recommended: Blue is for Nightmares, White is for Magic, Silver is for Secrets, and Red is for Remberance, all by Stolarz.

T. B.