The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

This novel is nominated for the Abraham Lincoln award. It is as much a teen romance as it is about coping with a divorced parent's betrayal and learning to move on.

The last thing Hadley Sullivan wants to do is travel all the way to London to watch her father get married to a woman she's never met. Yet here she is in an airport waiting for a flight because she missed the first one by all of four minutes. As she waits for the next flight, she befriends a fellow traveler - a teenager named Oliver. The two of them hit it off and even manage to sit together on the flight, allowing them hours to form a bond that helps Hadley face seeing her father for the first time in about a year. Throughout the entire flight, Hadley is trying to cope with the anger and betrayal she feels for her father's decision to leave her mother and her for life and love in England. Even when she lands, she's immediately whisked away for the wedding with no time to address anything with her father. Then she learns the real reason Oliver is in England and feels the pull to be by his side, but who is she to do such a thing for a boy she's only known a few hours? Are Hadley and Oliver meant to be together? And will she make peace with her father before it's too late for their relationship?

This entire novel takes place over twenty-four hours. For the first part of the novel it just seems like two teens hanging out - nothing too memorable about the experience. I didn't initially get the feeling that this was two teens falling in love - the type of love that has Hadley frantically trying to find Oliver after they land. Their relationship seemed to be more about what the other person does for their sanity than necessarily how they make their hearts soar. As Oliver says at the end of the novel, "I feel better when I'm with you" (234). Hadley is going through an extremely emotional time - she's exceptionally mad at her father - and Oliver does a lot to help her cope with that. So this novel is subtly not even really about falling in love. I think this novel is really more about both characters working through the relationships they have with their fathers. Don't get me wrong, there is definitely a relationship that forms between them and Hadley is crushed when she thinks their time has come to an unhappy end, but this book has a bigger picture which makes it more than a fluffy romance.

This novel is a fairly quick read. Through it you get the joy of a romance and the hope that comes with a character undergoing emotional healing. This is a well rounded book and an enjoyable read.
MMK

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

Sorako by Fujimura Takayuki

If you like Slice of Life gender manga, this is the one for you.

This a book divided in three different stories about three different people and some omake (Small strip) Sorako being the main center of the comic.

It describes the life of the characters in every day life. Nothing big, and nothing much exciting but the usual routine of students. Eating, trying to look for a job, even dreams of traveling or winning the lottery!

These are small stories one can relate to and even laugh at how alike they are to our own.

The art it's pretty simple but yet catches your eye at the first page.

Pretenders by Lisi Harrison

Pretenders is a new series by Lisi Harrison, author of The Clique and Monster High series. This series is filled with a cast of unique characters all trying to make their mark in high school through whatever means possible.

The novel is made up of journal entries from five students who eventually become the “Phoenix Five,” a group of five students who are truly outstanding in school. One student is Lily, a former home schooled girl who just wants to be normal while obsessing over her neighbor Duffy. The boy-next-door is another student whose journal is featured in this book. Duffy is a basketball star struggling to make his mark as a freshman on varsity, especially after learning about his family’s financial woes. He’ll do whatever it takes to stay on the team, even if it means compromising his image for money. He seems to like Sheridan who can be a bit of a drama queen as she tries to find the right persona that everyone will love as she models herself after actors or characters she has seen elsewhere. All she wants to do is fit in and be popular, which is becoming even more difficult as her best friend’s summer friend shows up, proving to be everything Sheridan wants to be. It doesn’t help that her best friend now has a boyfriend, orphan Jagger whose parents are in jail for taking care of a bully. He’s now trying to survive on his own while steering clear of someone who might want revenge for his parent’s actions. Aside from the journals of Lily, Duffy, Sheridan, and Jagger, there is also Vanessa who is struggling to maintain her status as the best-of-the-best, which she feels will keep her parents from fighting. She’s willing to do anything, even possibly illegal activities to maintain her G.P.A. Before long, it seems as if all of the characters are in over their heads, each moment documented in their journals.

This novel does a good job of creating five unique characters, each one individual and fully developed. At times, however, they seem a bit like caricatures and cliches. Duffy is the jock, Lily is the sheltered home schooled kid, Vanessa is an overachiever obsessed with grades, Jagger is the mysterious loner, and Sheridan is the actress. Sheridan to me was the hardest to swallow. Her obsession with being someone else was a bit much to digest. It really went over the top when she wanted to channel “Massie Block from the straight-to-DVD movie The Clique” (59), which is a not too subtle nod to the author’s other series (there is also a Monster High reference later in the book). It read as a desperate move from the author to promote her other works. Plus it alienates people who don’t know her books. The other character Sheridan wants to channel are more pop-culture, but even the Gossip Girl reference will date the book. Her whole character was a little too much, so it was nice come the end when she starts to be more herself than someone else. Lily’s stalker tendencies also got to be a little much, although I’m sure a number of girls can relate to the obsessive quality of having a crush on a boy out of your league - even if Lily takes it to extremes. Jagger is the least developed character, but I think that all works towards him being the most mysterious. The characters become more likable as the book progresses and their true stories develop and grow conflicted. It all culminates to one night when everything gets out of control, and then the book ends in a cliffhanger.

For the most part I wasn’t impressed with the book - at least for three-fourths of the novel. It feels a bit like a watered down attempt at Pretty Little Liars with less extreme secrets. I wasn’t going to pick up the next book, but I might just to see how it all turns out - thanks to the cliffhanger at the end. All of the characters seem to have the best intentions, their desperation just got in the way of making smart choices. We shall see in book two how it all turns out.
MMK

Waiting for You by Susane Colasanti

Waiting for You is all about the complicated life of a teenager. Marisa is dealing with everything most teenagers face - finding a boyfriend and fitting in. She has the slight complication that she has an anxiety disorder which nearly destroyed her freshman year, but now that she’s a sophomore, she’s got it all figured out, or so she thinks. Things start to get complicated when she becomes lab partners with her neighbor Nash. At first it’s an amazing friendship, but then he has to go and like her more than she likes him. Now that friendship is on the rocks. Then she gets her dream boyfriend Derek, but that puts a strain on her friendship with her best friend Sterling who doesn’t have a boyfriend. On top of that, Derek is still awfully friendly with his ex, which has Marisa questioning his commitment to her. To make matters even worse, Marisa’s parents - whom she always thought were the perfect example of parents - are getting a divorce. While Marisa fights to keep her cool through all of this drama and not give into her anxiety and depression, there’s a podcast by DJ Dirty Dirk, the only guy who genuinely seems to understand everything she’s going through.

This novel spans Marisa’s entire sophomore year. You could relate to the characters and cheer for them to figure it all out. While it is jam-packed with drama, it all felt very basic. This is a decent coming-of-age novel for girls struggling to find a balance in high school, friendships and being true to yourself. It is a quick read that hits the bare-necessities of a novel wanting to make a statement about relationships and identity and the things that matter in life. Marisa finds a way to get through all of the drama and her disorder to come to appreciate everything and everyone she has in her life.

MMK

Irresistible by Liz Bankes

Irresistible is a novel that explores the draws girls have for the “bad boy.” Mia is fortunate to get a waitressing job at the Radleigh Castle Restaurant during the summer. There she meets Dan, a co-worker whom she immediately hits it off with. However, she also meets Jaime, the attractive son of the owner of the estate. While Dan is a sweet, down-to-earth guy, Jaime is the “bad boy” who doesn’t shy away from ruining people’s reputations. When Jaime and his girlfriend Cleo meets Mia, they draws her into their world of questionable relationship statuses, late night swims, and parties in the pool house, all of which escalates when Cleo goes away on vacation. Mia is torn between the perfect guy Dan and the intriguing Jaime who is simply bored with nothing better to do with his time. Mia is unprepared for what happens when this double life is horribly exposed, risking everything she’s gained, including her friends.

While I understand the appeal of the “bad boy,” Jaime just seemed like a jerk. Near the end of the book, it says that he became a better person when he was around Mia, but I wish that was more prominent in the novel because he just seemed like a mean person. He seemed to show no remorse for toying with others. Aside from him being attractive and the allure of a rich guy, I didn’t understand what Mia’s draw was to him. Her constant association with him even turned her into a person with no regard for her family or friends. Come the end of the novel, while it is left open ended, Mia seems to end up getting her act in gear and realizing what she was risking with this relationship, but I simply didn’t understand the draw to Jaime. I always thought that with a romance the reader would want the characters together - to have some sort of reader appeal with the “hero,” but I didn’t get that with this novel.

This novel is for older teens looking for a more complex/sophisticated relationship or “romance.” While I am all for romances, this one missed the mark for me.

MMK

the impossible knife of memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

Tags for this title are fathers and daughters fiction; post traumatic stress disorder fiction; family problems fiction; veterans fiction.  The story starts out with a teenaged girl talking about just returning to her grandma's house after of years of absence and no memory of this past.  She and her dad had been on the road, hauling loads in his semi for a number of years.  Now apparently his past war trauma is catching up with him and he wants to settle down or perhaps hide from his memories, let his daughter go to a real school, graduate.  So, I have two people now with possible post traumatic stress disorder.  We need to add the boy who insists on befriending Hayley and the kindergarten friend Gracie who still remembers Hayley and is experiencing serious trauma herself.  All together we have four people experiencing trauma and drama in their lives.  I think all the drama among the teens was enough story in itself, without dad's trauma.  Hayley lost her mother then her grandmother who was raising her, is all of sudden in school after being more or less home schooled.  She is having memory problems, she is rebellious. That's enough trauma to carry the story even without her friends' serious problems.  Dad's drama is just sort of added on to everything else.  Maybe the point of this story is that there is all kinds of traumatic stress in all kinds of lives.  If it was meant to show to teens the effects of war on veterans, I don't think it was completely successful.  I think that gets sort of lost in all the other mess going on.  I read Laurie Halse Anderson books.  I wouldn't say she is a favorite author but her books are ok.  I do not think this one is one of her better books however.  Just my say. 
JDW  5/14

Cold Calls - Charles Benoit

It all begins with a call to Eric.  The voice is distorted and there is air popping and clicks in the background.  The person calls several times and in the middle of the night tells Eric to check his inbox.  There is a picture taken from inside his room there in his e-mail.  Eric becomes paranoid and keeps checking his phone and e-mail for the mysterious caller.  After a few days of not hearing anything the mysterious caller calls.  He/she tells Eric they know his secret and to check his e-mail again.  In his e-mail is a picture he thought was gone forever.  If he doesn't do tasks on certain days and times the picture will get sent to everyone he knows.  Shelly got a call from the same distorted voice as Eric.  The caller tells her they know her secret.  Shelly has to complete several tasks and her secret won't get out.  Both Eric and Shelly dump food on kids at their respective schools and get suspended for a week.  They also have to complete a weekend bullying program for them to go back to school after the suspension.  They sit through videos and questions on Saturday.  They also had to write an essay about taking responsibility for their actions.  On Sunday there are only eight kids left.  As they complete paperwork saying they completed the program, Eric and Shelly overhear the teacher telling the security guard reasons some of the kids didn't come back.  The one that stands out is a strange voice called at night.  Shelly talks to Eric after the program.  She tries to convince him that the same person called both of them and told them to do certain things at certain times.  Eric thinks it's done with, but the voice calls him Sunday night telling him the macaroni and cheese task has to be done while he's suspended.  Fatima, one of the girls from the bullying program, calls Shelly.  Fatima finally gets to the point telling Shelly she got the same calls as Eric and Shelly.  When Eric gets back from working out he discovers that the mysterious caller has sent a picture to all of his contacts on his phone.  He finds Shelly's number and gives her a call.  Eric, Shelly, and Fatima meet at the library.  They hope to figure out who is behind the creepy calls before Thursday night to keep their secrets from getting out.  

Just like Benoit's other books I really enjoyed this one.  I liked how Benoit took on the issue of bullying.  I also liked the story being reminiscent of the mystery/thriller books by R. L. Stine, Richie T. Cusick, Diane Hoh, and Lois Duncan from the mid to late 1990's.  It was nice to have the nostalgia in a book set in today's technology driven society.  I would recommend Fall From Grace and You by Charles Benoit. 

T.B. 5/12/14