Last Year's Mistake by Gina Ciocca

During Kelsey's junior year of high school, her family moved away. She started fresh at a new school and gladly left behind her first two years of school. During her senior year, however, her past found its way back into her life. When David moves to her new school, she can't avoid the memories of the fact that they'd been inseprable best friends. That was before he started dating girls who hated her and suddenly things became complicated. One event changed it so that for an entire year she didn't have any communication with him. Now he's back in her life and she has to figure out if she ever really let go of the past.

This book is told in alternating chapters between present (senior year) and past (freshman and sophomore year). It jumps between the fact that Kelsey is currently at odds with the fact that David is in her life and the way things had been between them. The novel is fairly typical in the teen drama department. You have the tension between David and Ryan's current boyfriend - not only in terms of Kelsey's affections but also because they're both competing for spots on the baseball team. There's also drama as Kelsey sees her best friend dating someone and not seeing the same side of the girl that she sees. Then there's also the fact that Kelsey doesn't fully understand her own feelings - then and now - as she struggles with him being just a friend and not more. When it comes to the big culminating event that drove them apart, it's a little bit anticlimactic. In my opinion, it makes Kelsey's reaction to completely cut him out of her life a little juvenile and that their entire relationship meant nothing to her. 

The novel is a good read if you're looking for teen romance and a tale of second chances. The drama is fairly typical, but what would the life of a teen be without drama? It has more meat than other teen romances, so it is worth picking up.
MMK

This is W.A.R. by Lisa & Laura Roecker

(Soho Press, Inc.)

Willa Ames-Rowan is dead. After climbing into a boat with James Gregory, she is dead. Everyone knows he killed her but since the Gregory family, specifically James’s grandfather the Captain runs the town and the Hawthorne Lake Country Club, no one dares say so. The Gregory family is great at throwing money at their problems to make them go away. Willa’s best friends: Lina, Sloane, Rose & Madge now seek to destroy the Gregory family, not just James but his reckless brother Trip too. They start a war…

Feeling mixed on this book. I was hoping for some more suspense than you really get from it. A few chapters in you know who really killed Willa, it was just too clear. The most frustrating thing is when the girls got together to start their plans for revenge, never did they go over what happened that night to each of them. That would have saved them so much trouble and would have ultimately saved them from some really dumb plans to “destroy” the family. What is beyond dumb is that Madge knows who the real killer is but lets the girl keep thinking its James. Money is thrown around like nothing. The girls are supposed to front $25,000 to enter this war against the Gregory family. I cannot wrap my head around the fact that these teen girls can get a hold of $25,000 without parent permission or interference, insert eye roll here. The author gave the girls each part in the book to sort of dive into who they were. The most likeable characters, in my opinion, are Lina and Sloane. I think they embody and say things that are very relatable for teen girls, but they also grow to accept themselves which is always a good message. The best I can say about this book is that if you like soap operas, this is for you. You’ll get frustrated at characters for not doing the obvious thing and you have the made for TV drama of the scandals at the rich country club.

AB

Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell

Everyone probably has that one person they'd like to kill and this book addresses that desire. Through the eyes of a teenage serial killer, this novel deals with the struggles of being a murderer.

Kit seems like a normal London teenager, but she's really the city's notorious serial killer known as the "Perfect Killer." She's been raised to be a murderer since she was child in order to take over for her mother who had also been a murderer. They receive letters in a secret mailbox from people requesting the death of certain people, and it is Kit's job to answer those letters. After she murders them, she leaves the letter behind as her signature. She's lead to believe that "Nothing is right, nothing is wrong," so she's not doing anything wrong by killing these people. When a letter arrives asking for the murder of a schoolmate, she befriends the victim and starts to make decisions that have her question what she's been raised to do.

This novel has an interesting premise because I'm sure we've all thought about one person we'd like to see killed. This book just takes it a step further and finds a person to make those wishes come true. For the most part the victim has wronged the writer in one way or another, so it's not like they're entirely innocent, right? The fact that it is a teenage girl makes it a smidge hard to believe, but if she's been trained to do this since she was a child, maybe it is a bit more believable. The novel makes Kit this complex character. For the most part she is just a cold blooded killer, she doesn't really try to justify what she's doing. But then she murders without a letter and starts to question everything. I don't know that she necessarily grows throughout this novel, but the author does a good job of getting into the head of someone who sees nothing wrong with murder and believes the people need her.

This was an enjoyable book. It is an easy read that draws you into the world of a teenage murderer.
MMK

Asylum by Madeleine Roux

When the story takes place in an abandoned asylum, you're almost insured a creepy story and this novel doesn't let you down. If the story alone isn't enough to give you chills, the novel also has photos from real asylums that add that little extra creep factor.

Dan Crawford is excited about attending the New Hampshire College Prep summer program. It's a chance to take classes he's interested in and an opportunity to meet new friends, like Abby and Jordan who he instantly bonds with. His first day, though, he finds a creepy picture of a man with his eyes scratched out in his dresser drawer. After being told there are more pictures like that in the "off limits" section of their dorm, Dan decides it's time to investigate their dormitory, which was originally an insane asylum. With the help of Abby and Jordan, they discover the warden's office and a number of disturbing photos. Initially creeped out, the three leave, but things aren't quite right when Dan starts receiving mysterious notes and troubling nightmares as if he is a part of the asylum. Upon further investigation, Dan discovers that the asylum once held a serial killer named The Sculptor. When a student is murdered and posed - just like the Sculptor had done to his victims - Dan begins to wonder if the serial killer is still around or if something more nefarious is going on in the dorm. It also doesn't help that Dan is prone to blackouts, which start to make him look like a suspect as more people are attacked and a connection between him and the original asylum is discovered.

This book did not disappoint in the creepy factor. The photos were a nice touch to the story. Between developing the characters, there is a nice, steady build up of suspense. The things that happen to Dan and the people around him makes you wonder if they're all being affected by the asylum and each going a little crazy.

A sequel to this novel is coming out around August 2014. It will be interesting to see where the story goes because this novel ends with a pull to come back. Asylum is definitely worth the read.
MMK

Counting By 7's by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Characters are Willow, genius with a very positive attitude, Dell inept school counselor, Mai and Quang-Ha real friends of Willow though older, their mother Pattie, Jairo the Mexicano Taxi driver, Saduh and Cheddar the Cat. Setting is somewhere in southern California.  Willow is a misfit in school, she is way to smart and serious for the average middle schooler. But, she has her garden which is spectacular, understanding parents, a lot of determination. When she takes a standardized test and gets a perfect score she ends up in counseling for cheating. Dell is largely inept as a counselor but he recognizes genius when he sees it and winds up a friend of sorts for Willow. Quang-Ha is also being unsuccessfully counseled by Dell. Willow and Quang-Ha and Mai his sister aren't supposed to meet but they do. Willow recognizes a fellow genius and quickly makes friends of Mai, her first friend actually. Quang-Ha finds a way to use Willow's genius to his advantage and slowly becomes less of a trouble maker. Tragically both Willow's parents are killed in a car accident. Family services wants to place Willow in a locked residency for troubled teens till a permanent placement (adoption) can be found. Willow knows she cannot survive this. She calls on Mai to help keep her out of there. Mai enlists her mom Pattie. This family's living situation is unusual to say the least, not something family services would approve of. So, with the help of Dell and Jairo an acceptable living environment is created using Dell's apartment and sending him to live with Saduh. They do succeed in getting temporary placement of Willow and eventually even better. There are a lot of near disasters along the way but this odd group of people become true family and everyone is thriving in the end, at least for now... I was happy to see some good capable adults (Pattie, Jairo) in this story, even though Dell is a bit of a stereotypical adult in teen novel. I have a hard time thinking of a teen or tween who would be attracted to this quirky story. Maybe readers of Holes or Hoot or Walk Two Moons would enjoy this. Certainly it will take a reader who understands and appreciates intelligence. By the way, counting by 7's isn't some freaky obsession, its just something Willow happens to enjoy! And when she cannot enjoy this the reader knows how deeply sad she is. This story is worth reading. JDW 12/4/13

Freaks Like Us by Susan Vaught

This is fairly easy to read even though the narrator and his friends are 17 and in high school  I would give it to any one from 6th grade and up.

Freak, Sunshine and Drip have been friends for at least 9 or ten years.  They are alphabets as they call themselves.  They have medical diagnoses that keep them out of normal classrooms and on the short bus to special classes.  They are regularly harassed and even beaten by a BD student and his gang.

One day the bus drops of Sunshine near her home then Drip and Freak and Sunshine just disappears.
Folks immediately accuse Jason (Freak) of hurting Sunshine.  He does not stand up well for himself because of his alphabet.  Through repeated questioning, DNA testing, a search, a severe beating in the hands of the bullies, its easy to see how much Freak has grown to love Sunshine, how much he is hurting for his loss and scared for her, and how much adults distrust him and he therefore distrusts them.  Jason and Derrick (Drip) know about Sunshine's secret place along the river, her secret stash in her room, her scent (like honeysuckle).  They do not know about her greatest secret and greatest secret stash.  They know they could not hurt their friend.  One FBI Agent who gets to know Jason, who looks past his alphabet earns Jason's trust and learns all the truth he can share.  It is with certainty that we also know Jason and Derrick, especially Jason did nothing to hurt Sunshine.  The search for Sunshine ends due to money issues and a sense that perhaps she left on her own.  Agent Mercer lets Jason in on what he knows.  Jason later repays this trust by calling on him for help, which he freely gives.  There is a realistic, bitter sweet ending. Sympathetic readers are likely to shed a few tears and learn a little of misperceptions about persons with a wide range of disabilities.  JDW

Prom & Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

This is a quick and enjoyable read that anyone who enjoys Jane Austen will appreciate.

Lizzie Bennet is an outcast at Longbourn Academy because she is one of the dreaded "scholarship" kids. Teased and harassed on a regularly basis, Lizzie can't help but have her defenses up when around fellow students with money. Forced to join her best friend Jane at a reception between their school and Pemberly Academy (a reception in preparation for the ever popular prom), Lizzie meets Jane's beau Charles Bingley and his friend Will Darcy. At first Lizzie thinks Darcy might be nice, but then he proves to be just like all of the other people with money and her defenses shoot up. No matter what Darcy does now, Lizzie won't bend and when things fall apart for Jane and Bingley and the sneaky George Wickham enters the picture, Lizzie doesn't know who to trust or who to believe in. Can she let go of her pride and prejudices to see Darcy's true character?

This novel did a great job capturing the story of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice in a modern time where it's not about finding a husband, but a prom date. It was a pleasant surprise to see familiar characters pop up in new ways. That's definitely not to say that someone unfamiliar with the original tale can't enjoy this novel. It just goes to prove how Austen's tale is truly timeless. Everything flowed nicely and fit logically. At times it felt like the language was off, but I don't know if that was just how I read it - sometimes I find an English accent going off in my head, especially if I'm reading something Jane Austen. Therefore, I don't know if this was just the way I read it or if the language was stilted - like she was trying to throw in some of that formalized talk like from the original novel. It wasn't anything, though, that distracted from the whole of the novel (nor the excessive use of exclamation marks at certain unnecessarily points).

I've always been a fan of Pride and Prejudice so reading this book was a treat. It was a quick read and I really didn't want to put the book down (if only I didn't have a bedtime). Any fan of Jane Austen or chick lit will enjoy this book.
MMK

Boys, Girls & Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman

The author of the book that inspired the movie Mean Girls comes out with a novel that switches from mean girls to mean boys and the world of hazing. The novel starts out being so typical it was not memorable, but it turns around...a bit.

Charlie is the new girl (that's right - girl) in school after she decided to go to a different high school than her 8th grade class in order to get away from her bully friends. She's surprised to see her former best friend Will who moved away a few years ago and Nidhi - a girl from 8th grade who was an unfortunate victim of Charlie's former friends Lauren and Ally. The new school, though, is a new start for Charlie as past mistakes are forgiven with Nidhi and she reconnects with Will. In the meantime, she falls for Tyler - a friend of Will's and his fellow soccer and lacrosse player. Typical high school live ensues - including the disappointment that the boy she likes doesn't like her. Then, the mean boy dynamic come through as Tyler and Will try to get accepted in the lacrosse team and are ordered around/humiliated by the upperclassmen. Tyler also becomes a mean boy as he lashes out a girl who rejected him. Charlie, worried about Will though, warns him about getting too involved in the hazing and Tyler's immature behaviors. It all escalates to an almost fatal accident where Charlie has to decide whether to expose the players or keep her mouth shut since lacrosse players are worshiped in the school - even by teachers.

It takes a while for the book to get truly interesting since it is so typical and unmemorable. For a while I kept waiting for the "mean boys" to appear and that wasn't really until the second half of the book. It was briefly mentioned in the beginning, but not much really happened. I almost felt that this book would have done a better job showing the troubles if it had been written from Will's perspective instead of Charlie's. With Charlie telling the story it's all a reaction to things she's seeing and stories she's hearing. If Will told the story, the audience would have seen things first hand. But I can't rewrite the story so I'll just have to deal. I think the author did a good job of showing Charlie's struggle at the end. Many times athletes are worshipped in schools to the point that they can do no wrong. If she told, she'd get Will in trouble and she risked no one believing her - which does happen. There is also a good comparison of of mean girls vs mean boys as Charlie reflects upon her friendships last year.

This book could have been better. Showing it from Will's perspective definitely would have done a better job allowing the reader to experience the hazing. Also, it could have picked up the pace and gotten to the point quicker. A little less adjusting to a new school and typical high school life would have captured my attention a bit more. Then again, I'm not a teenager, so maybe the pacing is just fine for that generation.
MMK

To the Power of Three by Lippman

This isn't considered a teen novel but I see no reason an intelligent, thoughtful teen couldn't appreciate it, especially someone already reading adult literature. The three in the title are girls, perhaps true friends who grew up together and almost made it to graduation together.



The story begins with an unusual school shooting. Initially it appears that one girl, unhappy with not being awarded the lead in the school's musical and in addition having her choice of play thrown out has shot the girl everyone loved, all girls aspired to be, who had been given the lead and perhaps who's parents influenced the choice of play. Then turned the gun on the third girl then herself. But, there is some curious evidence that doesn't fit the scenario. Little by little who the players in this story are, and there are many, come to light. Rumors flying around the school and community keep the investigators searching for the truth or as close to it as they can. Is the right girl being blamed for the shooting? Perhaps the girl who had only received a minor wound to her foot was responsible, her shoes had not been recovered at the crime scene. Would the presumed shooter come out of a coma and be able to tell investigators her story? Just as we slowly learn about the many characters we slowly get as close to the truth of the shooting as possible. We are left to make our own decisions regarding a number of things including pretty rich girl Kat's father's influence on the events and just how a pig slaughter went down and who the unknown witness to events really was. We also find out that however perfect this powerful trio seemed, they were far from perfect and quite good at subtle bullying and promoting cliques.



JDW 1/27/11

A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley

Charlie and her father are on their annual summer vacation to visit grandpa in the small town where her parents grew up .. This time neither Grandma nor Mother is with them. Mother died several years ago and this is the first vacation since grandma died. Grandpa just wants to sleep all the time and father is a shadow of his former self. Neither is very aware of Charlie.
For the first time in the many years she has been visiting, Neighbor Rose and her two friends decide to befriend Charlie. Rose's reasons aren't exactly simply to be friends but rather to use Charlie to get out of the town she feels stifled in. Dave seems to have fallen in love with Charlie which she finds very interesting but both are very awkward. There are trips to the water falls, a camping trip in which Charlie hears the others singing a song that makes fun of her. This results in Charlie dumping every one's friendship. There is a little swearing. Charlie tries to learn to drive. Dave is bitten by a snake and nearly dies. Throughout the story, which is narrated alternately by Rose and Charlie, Charlie hears music in everything and writes songs and sings mostly to herself and Rose speaks of the science in everything. Charlie is a shy one, reluctant to show others who she is, hurt before by teasing and possibly dumped by a close friend just before vacation. Gradually the group of likable sort of friends sort out who each really is and come to terms with all that has happened in this one eventful summer vacation. I think this would be great for middle schoolers who like Natasha Friend. jdw 10/27/10

North of Beautiful by Headley

I read this book because it is popular with teens. This is a multi layered story with several well developed characters. It includes a flawed but loving mother who is utterly wonderful to find in a book and is ever so realistic. Terra has a port wine birthmark across a large portion of her face. She has been stared at a lot over the years and her family has taught her to hide behind her hair and behind thick layers of makeup, they also uncomfortable with this fault. Father is verbally abusive, mother eats too much and cannot at first stand up to his abuse which wasn't always true. Terra's brother is working in China and invites the family to visit even providing them with tickets. Terra's mother and Terra are both artistic. Their activities have lead them to meet a young man Terra's age and his mother. They too had been planning a trip to China. Even though Terra's father refuses to go, Jacob and his mom encourage the pair and all four head to China. This is a learning trip for Terra in many ways. She comes to understand what she values in a relationship, she begins to appreciate herself and define herself by her strengths rather than by the port wine birthmark and to understand why her family acts as they do, all hiding behind something by their dysfunctional actions, working too much, eating too much, criticising too much, wearing too much makeup. The adventures in China were wondrously descriptive as well. This book is worth the trip.

NUM8ERS by Rachel Ward

I wrote about THE MARK earlier. Its another teen novel in which a teen can tell when someone is going to die. In that book an aura appears around people 24 hours before their deaths. This book explores whether or not to tell someone they are about to die, what one would do if they knew, if death could be prevented then what might happen. In num8ers Jem sees the date of death for each individual when she looks for the numbers. She has seen such numbers all her life and only recently understood them to be the date of death. She has been in foster care a long time as her parents are dead. Her current home is pretty stable but she is accustomed to skipping school and otherwise being a misfit. Another misfit who has recently started selling drugs for another student and using a little.Spider, becomes friends with Jem. He also frequently skips school and they often spent those days together. Its on one such day that Jem sees a cluster of deaths about to happen that same day, all of the people are near the London Eye Ferris wheel. In panic she runs taking Spider with her. The kids are seen running just as there is an explosion resulting in numerous deaths. They become persons of interest. Believing that no one will believe them innocent of causing the explosion they go on the lam, trying to escape the man-hunt, the law. While fleeing they have a number of harrowing experiences and recognize their true love for each other. Spider is captured, Jem goes into asylum in a church. They are reunited temporarily but tragedy strikes, partly because the reunion occurs on the date Jem sees as Spider's death and she is desperate to stop it. What follows is Jem coming to terms with things and a fairly common resolution - a new life replaces that of Spider's. This is mostly adventure story. I preferred Marked but Numbers is the more popular. JDW 8/9/10

tales of the MADMAN underground by Barnes

This seems like a novel who's audience is unclear. I enjoyed it but can't really think to whom I might recommend it. People might think its about kids with mental illness or about alcoholic kids and parents, but ultimately its about allies, the closest of friends. Its really a wonderful tale of friendship. All the characters, teens and adults are flawed as is true in real life.
MADMAN underground is the title a group of teens gave to themselves years earlier. They are all part of a therapy group at school. They are all from homes that are dysfunctional in their own often horrific ways. Everyone at schools knows everything (or think they do) about them. This is small town USA 1973. The teens are very close. They try to protect each other from bad stuff at home and at school. They really discover how close during the months of this story when two of the members try to have a normal, non-therapy year.
Karl is the protagonist/main character. He is scary as people believe he tortures small animals. Before he died his father was well respected in town. Those who knew him try to look out for Karl the way they know how. Karl has numerous odd jobs all over town and several stashes which unfortunately his alcoholic free spirited mother sometimes finds and uses to get drunk, etc. Enter new girl in town, Marti, new member of the underground because her parents believe she needs to be. They periodically lock her out of the house at night as punishment. Other members are Paul, who may be gay and is subjected to beatings by members of the sports teams. Not all however, since Squid and Danny, also MADMEN play sports. Then there is Cheryl and Darla. Marti is dating Paul who is having issues with his best friend Karl. Darla and Karl go to a pond that doubles as a place for dating teens to park and he almost loses his virginity. Karl takes Marti in to a hotel room one night when both have been locked out and Marti's mother accuses him of giving her STD and getting her pregnant. Paul is rescued by the MADMEN before he gets beaten one more time. More stuff happens and is sorted out in quite hopeful ways. There is a side thread, popular Staci is witness to many of the MADMEN troubles and proves to be one of few that doesn't spread rumor or harass the group. This is one of several books I've read recently in which a popular girl/cheerleader is shown to be more human and less snobbish than one might believe a popular teen to be. JDW 2/10