Parched by Melanie Crowder

Parched by Melanie Crowder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What an apt title, Sarel's family life has been decimated with the arrival of men looking for water. They murder Sarel's parents and set their home on fire with Sarel terrorized thereafter with the recurring fire nightmare. If she did not have her father's dogs (Rhodesian Ridgebacks)I know she would have perished from grief. Each night Sarel would lock the herself and the dogs kennel and they would drape themselves across her body. For awhile there was water but it became evident that the water was drying up. There is a boy, Musa, who is in shackles and being held against his will because he can find water just by dowsing sticks. Musa escapes his captors and walks across the desert and finds Sarel and her dogs. The mother dog, Nandi, knows Musa is the boy who will find them water. Melanie Crowder's plot, characters, and their exhaustive, painful search for water is a must read. It will make readers aware of how many throughout the world are losing their water source and how we must work on conserving this natural resource before it is too late.

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Saving Gracie by Carol Bradley

Saving Gracie: How One Dog Escaped the Shadowy World of American Puppy Mills by Carol Bradley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a book that should be read by everyone; animal lover, teen, and adult. If you are an animal lover; this book will sadden you and outrage you. If you are a teen, hopefully it will create empathy for these poor defenseless dogs (mostly) who are treated so badly, some dogs forever bear the scars of their captivity in cages, without water and food, living in their own excrement. If you are an adult, many of you will remember these cases of animal abuse because they were widely reported on the news and in newspapers and magazines. This book has thoroughly researched the puppy mill business, targeted the abusers and worked through the law and government to put an end to puppy mills and educate the public to the widespread use of raising dogs in kennels in deplorable conditions only to sell sick dogs to people and stores. It also shows how one woman; the woman who adopts Gracie,and how she changes as a result of saving Gracie. This is a must read, but a very difficult read. Many times I wanted to put it down, but I knew this story needed to be told. Now I will be sharing this compelling book with my friends and hopefully opening their eyes to the horrendous practices in American puppy mills.

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Champion by Marie Lu

Champion by Marie Lu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, I loved the ending to this series! Marie Lu has written a moving novel where there is heartbreak, pain, suffering, plague(s)in a dystopian world where the Republic (once mighty) fights against time with the Colonies exhorting Day to come to their side or else everyone he loves (Eden, June, etc.) will be executed. If Day will tell the people of the Republic to surrender, there is hope, but Day and June and others concoct a FAKE surrender, fighting against time for a cure, and seeking military aid from Antarctica. What I liked about this final book was the way characters like Anden, June, and Day worked together (throw in Eden, Pascao and Tess) against evildoers like Thomas and Commander Jameson who escape right before they are due to be executed--thriller!!!June and Day's relationship is still strained but they are deeply committed to each other; it was gripping when Day begs June to either tell him she loves him or just release him of all his heartache and nightmares by revealing she doesn't love him. But we all know they love each other and once June finally speaks from her heart, what follows is awesome. This book is a wild ride that will not disappoint and the ending is hopeful, redemptive, and all those positive things we sappy readers want to see between June an Day.

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TheGravity of Birds by Tracy Guzeman

The Gravity of Birds by Tracy Guzeman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to my GMA friend, Mimi for recommending this book! Tracy Guzeman's book about family, sisters and the art world was mesmorizing. Sisters Natalie and Alice Kessler are on a summer vacation when they first meet Thomas Bayber who is a young artist in his early thirties. This fateful meeting and vacation will irrevocably change their lives. Once close, Natalie, the oldest sister, is controlling, vindictive but compelling beautiful. Alice is also good looking also but she is kind, compassionate and saddled from a very young age with rheumatoid arthritis, prohibiting her from pursuing her career in ornithology. After their parents die, Natalie controls Alice with lies, subservience and away from the public eye once they move away from their home. Fast forward to Thomas Bayber, in his seventies, commissions two art experts to find his earliest never seen before painting, titled The Kessler Sisters. Only problem, it is nearly impossible to find the sisters. If you love lies, romance, family dysfunction, and the thoroughly evil sister against the backdrop of the beauty in and around the art world, you will not be disappointed with this sweeping novel.

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Unsouled by Neal Shusterman

UnSouled by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Can't wait for Book #4! In this 3rd installment of the Unwind Dystology, Connor has been captured by Argent who wants to show him off to the world but Argent is thoroughly disgusting as a character. He has a sister, Grace, who he is so nasty, angry and rude to- she is labeled "low cortical" which means she is lacking in her mental capacity (boy do they get that wrong) but it is Grace who ends up helping Connor escape and goes with him and Lev to find out answers to the unwinds, Proactive Citizenry and try to find Jansen Reinschild's wife, Sonia (they invented unwinding). Argent meets up with Nelson, the parts pirate who is consumed with finding Connor and they are both detestable characters, along with Starkey who thinks he is the God of the Storks and has no moral compass. I enjoyed the parts involving Risa, I can't make up my mind about Cam; I like him sometimes and I don't like him other times. I know he really loves Risa and wants to prove it by taking down Proactive Citizenry and his creator, Roberta but so far he hasn't really escaped Proactive Citizenry. When Connor, Lev and Roberta go to the Indian reservation to be protected things begin to test the friendship of Connor and Lev. Lev is trying to recuperate after being hit by a car driven by Connor and Cam comes to the reservation hoping to find Risa and how Cam knows to go to this reservation is the result of his having some of the "parts" (like the hands) of an Indian who was rewound, yuck! I am looking forward to seeing more development of Grace as a character; she is definitely making herself very useful to Connor and Risa. The whole idea of unwinding and the unscrupulousness of the world towards teens make me cringe---Shusterman has done a fantastic job of creating a dystopian world at odds with teens, life and identity. Couldn't put this book down!

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Reality Boy by A.S. King

Reality Boy by A.S. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Let me introduce you to Gerald Faust. He is now 17 years old, works at a concession stand, sees an anger management counselor, has no friends and why? When Gerald was five, his family was part of a reality tv series and Gerald would poop (on the table, in shoes, etc) when he became really angry. As you read Gerald's story you find out why Gerald was expressing his rage in this very bizarre way. No one in his family, or on the show, or even the Nanny who was supposed to help them become a functional family tried to save Gerald and his other sister, Lisi, from their psychopathic older sister, Tasha. She tried to drown them, kicked them, punched them, strangled them, all while she called them gay and many other horrible names. Now his older sister has dropped out of college, is living at home and still being very inappropriate. As a result, Lisi, has flown the coop for college as Gerald feels so abandoned. His mother firmly sticks up for his oldest sister, and made sure Gerald was placed in special ed classes at school (Gerald has normal intelligence, but feels safe in spec ed classes). His father seems to be at work all the time and doesn't do anything when psycho sister, Tasha acts up. This book was difficult to read; you will see what I mean, but you root for Gerald and his search for love, happiness and acceptance. I couldn't put it down; I loved when he becomes friends with the girl at Register 1, talks to Snow White and goes to Gersday (have to read the book) in order to deal (insulate himself from his anger and fears). Gerald really believes he will never go to college, or hold a job; that he will end up in prison. I was so angry at the adults in this book and their disregard for a little boy who grows into an insecure, angry teen with little self worth. The only adults I liked were Beth, his boss, and the hockey lady who sticks up for Gerald and gives him big hugs. Until Hannah (girl at Regiser #1), no one has hugged Gerald, no one. A.S. King's book is a study in total family dysfunction, the harm of reality tv shows, and escapism in all its many facets.

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