Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson

Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a great book!!! Jade and her friends Lee Lee, Sam, mentor Maxine, her mom are all such authentic, real characters living in a challenging world, trying to face it the best way they can. I was not a fan of the cover, but as I read the book Jade's world on the cover was one of color, brightness, showcasing her hope but also the power and beauty of art made me fall in love with this colorful cover, a mosaic of Jade's life and aspirations! I have been hearing about this book since it was published in February 2017, and after reading THUG, Long Way Down, Dear Martin, ShadowHouse Fall, The Education of Margo Sabchez, Patina & Ghost, and I am sorry it took me so long to get to reading it, but so happy I read this powerful novel about friendship, finding oneself, hardship, heartbreak, the power of love and hope and honesty---a must read for all especially those who like urban fiction, adversity, diversity, and making a difference. Such a powerful book and ending- highly recommended!

View all my reviews

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I just love the simplicity of Katherine Applegate's writing but the deep abiding love she nurtures with her characters, words, and Red's world and his animal friends. Red's simple view of life is also rich, ancient, and sometimes weary. When a Muslim girl moves into the neighborhood, Red does not see any difference, just a shy, wonderful little girl who visits each night, curls under her and befriends all the animals (loved every one of them!!!). The slur that undermines Red's world also horrifies the human world. I laughed and loved how Bongo and Red hatch their plans, will they be successful? Such a wonderful read!

View all my reviews

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Debut author, Karen McManus had me turning the pages with this spine tingling whodunit. Reluctant readers will love this mystery complete with high school drama, teens you love and teens you hate. I loved the cover and the title is perfect, because if "one of us is lying" then you have the murderer, or do you??? Highly recommended!

View all my reviews

Love Restored (A Gallagher Brothers Novel) by Carrie Ann Ryan

Love Restored by Carrie Ann Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my first Carrie Ann Ryan book, and I will definitely be reading her other series books! This first in the Gallagher Brothers was right up my alley- the brothers are close, most work together in a construction company and they all stick together when trouble comes knocking, and this trouble is their client, Blake Brennan, an inker and piercer with Montgomery Ink. Both Graham Gallagher and Blake are hiding secrets and until they both reveal these secrets to each other, they will continue to have a very adversarial "relationship" which involves a lot of grumpy behavior from Graham. I liked the story, did not like the cover, but rooted for their happiness and yes there is lots of sizzle in their romance!

View all my reviews

Savage Drift (Book #3 Monument 14) by Emmy Laybourne

Savage Drift by Emmy Laybourne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I LOVED this series, the narration by Todd Haberkorn was just awesome, the writing by Emmy Laybourne was thrilling and I highly recommend this series! I am just sorry it took me this long to listen to it, but what sparked it was that I read Laybourne's 2017 book, Berserker, which I thoroughly loved and recommend all read it! That inspired me to go back to her debut series and I will be thinking about these kids and what they endured for a long long time, highly recommended!!!

View all my reviews

Trust by Kylie Scott

Trust by Kylie Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well I just learned while reading reviews on this YA romance that it is considered "new adult" (from a Goodreads reviewer "What is the NA genre? New adult (NA) fiction, also rendered as new-adult fiction, is a developing genre of fiction with protagonists in the 18–30 age bracket!") I have never read anything by Kylie Scott but I will certainly be in the near future because this 2017 book was awesome! Edie runs into a convenience store for snacks and becomes a drug-crazed tweeker's hostage (and boy is she brutalized!) and if not for another teen (trying to save her) in the store, Edie and this guy, John, become the latest news story. How this encounter changes both of them is real, funny, gritty, and makes them both stronger (in different ways). As their friendship deepens, they realize no one can really understand what they went through and they begin to look out for one another and spend more time together. Edie and John are great protagonists, their friends Anders and Hang are supportive, while I found Edie's mom too annoying and suffocating, and I was horror filled that John's parent's aren't even around!!! As they traverse their friendship and life, with each 0ther, and their friends and supportive therapist, I rooted for them to overcome their trauma, continue their undeniable bond of trust, and become something more and deeper!

View all my reviews

Sky On Fire (Monutment 14 #2) by Emmy Labourne

Sky on Fire by Emmy Laybourne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh boy did I love Book #2 and Todd Haberkorn's narration is just unbelievable! He does the kids voices, the adults voices and his tone is perfect. I could not stop reading, took about 2 days, I kept looking for any way to tune in to this frightening apocalypse story. I am jumping right into listening to the final book!!! A fantastic read!

View all my reviews

The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk

The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to Random House Books and Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for the advance reader copy The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk in exchange for an honest review. Woodfolk’s debut novel is a sad, sad book dealing with a trio of teens who try to make sense of the loss of three other teens (sister, friend and ex-boyfriend. The characters are well drawn, and authentic dealing with devastating grief, loss, love, and devastation. Each of the three teens narrates through chapters as they tell their stories, uncertainties, and speak to the power of friends, family, and relationships. As the book moves forward, the reader will be gripped by Shay’s, Autumn’s, and Logan’s loss, their sympathetic stories kept me turning the pages, as they use their love of music, friendship, and family to find “the beauty that remains” after their lives are irrevocably changed. This book stole my heart, teens will love this positive, affirming tear jerker. Highly recommended!

View all my reviews

Far From the Tree by Robing Benway

Far from the Tree by Robin Benway
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read and loved Emmie & Oliver by Robin Benway but Far From the Tree was such a moving read (Listen) and I just loved Julia Whelan's voices (especially her tone for the men) in this raw, sad, very emotional audiobook! I fell in love with the three teens who were put up for adoption by the same mother and they now search and find each other. Each chapter is told by each teen, Maya, Grace and Joaquin - the reader comes to know their thoughts, hopes, and fears (I just kept rooting for them). Maya and Grace have been adopted by loving families, but Joaquin, the oldest, has been in the foster care system his whole life. I ached for Joaquin as his own self hatred threatened any kind of happiness for him. He has foster parents, Mark & Linda who want to adopt him and a girlfriend, Birdie, he broke up with, because he felt he could never give her what she deserved. As I listened to this book, my heart ached and I was so afraid the ending would be awful, bleak and if it was, I was really going to cry even more!!! Without giving away too much, everyone needs to read this book- family, friendship, and yes, even therapy is realistically dealt with and the result is an award winner, that speaks volumes about the fierceness of family, the depth of friendship, and the love that binds (and grows) for Brothers and Sisters (bio kids & adopted kids) .

View all my reviews

Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna

Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the advance reader copy Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna in exchange for an honest review. I love mystery and detective stories and this book did not disappoint! Alice Vega is a successful bounty hunter hired by the family of two young girls who went missing at a mall. Alice is tough to figure out, very savvy when it comes to doing things her own way and she has plenty of resources and a tech guy who can get almost any information she needs. But when it comes to Witness Statements, Alice decides to hire/approach Cap, a disgraced cop who now has his own private investigation firm with a teen daughter who is just as interested in her father’s cases. Mystery lovers will be spellbound by the many twists and turns the case takes as many clues evolve, with Cap and Alice working overtime with no sleep to win over the police department, so they can ALL share clues to find these girls. There are surprises aplenty, but together Cap & Vega keep digging, as time ticks agonizingly fast. Will they find the girls? Will they be alive? If alive, will they be emotionally stable? I also liked the element of romantic interest between Cap & Vega that grows as the tension mounts. Luna’s major characters are well drawn and minor characters in the police department and suspects, friends and families questioned are all interesting and integral. I want to see Alice Vega turn into a mystery series. This is a riveting, mesmerizing detective thriller and will keep mystery lovers turning the pages; highly recommended!

View all my reviews

Overturned by Lamar Giles

Overturned by Lamar Giles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book has been highly recommended on the blogs I read and the YA reading publications I follow and Nikki Tate did not disappoint! She is one tough, resilient teen living in Vegas, dad in jail, mom and Nikki running his casino when his conviction is overturned- new evidence. Nikki has a close set of friends in Molly and Gavin- they play together (sports) and run an illegal card game (they all want to go to college together) but things conspire to upend Nikki's secret (she thinks) plans to escape Vegas with her friends. Nikki has also been crushing on new kid, Davis, who happens to be the son of the biggest casino owner in Vegas (forbidden fruit) and when she stops bullies from beating him to a pulp, he becomes friend and more. The dark underbelly of Vegas drew me in, I loved Nikki's descriptions, snarky comments and take no prisoners attitude. But when her Dad comes home from jail, he is not the same person and the life with her mom from the past 5 years gets tossed too. Lamar Giles really knows how to write mystery, spine tingling fast-paced novels with in your face teens, varied & great adult characters, and many plot complications that thrill. Another thrilling mystery from founding member of We Need Diverse Books!

View all my reviews

The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #2) by Michelle Hodkin

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh boy did I love this 2nd book in the series!!! In the first book I was not a fan of Mara but she sure did grow and become strong character in this book! With Mara & Noah against the world, I am going to root for the two of them to succeed but there was some strange goings on in this book: definitely people working against Mara, but why? Very creepy characters like Dr. Kels, Phoebe, Adam all in the institution no less! There is still the Dr Legume from the first book in the background, some chapters taking place in Egypt (haven't figured that out yet, but very interested!) with Mara as a nameless little girl, given a handmade doll by the girl she calls sister, and Jude, oh do I hate him so much! As forces conspire to keep Mara from Noah, he figures out how to be with her (LOVE HIM), and as the mysteries and secrets intensify, with Mara still being bullied, scared, and watched (that is really extra creepy) this audiobook hurtled to a spine chilling end- definitely getting the 3rd and final audiobook & I will also be getting the new series about Noah Shaw too---so excited! This is definitely a thrilling trilogy!

View all my reviews

Close Contact (Body Armor #3) by Lori Foster

Close Contact by Lori Foster
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Lori Foster books and Close Contact was super enjoyable! Miles and Maxi were strong characters, sincere, and totally into each other but only the reader is aware how much they really care about each other because they certainly aren't speaking freely to each 0ther. I loved the pace, could not stop reading this book as the heat rose, the danger increased, and the Body Armor family takes Maxi under their wing. I think that is what I like most about these books; the other series characters reappear and remain close with a united front. I can't wait for the next book in the series, because I love Sahara (owner of the agency) and since Brand is around her a lot I am sure there will be some awesome chemistry going on with them, hurry up #4!!!

View all my reviews

Count All Her Bones (Girl, Stolen #2) by April Henry

Count All Her Bones by April Henry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My students at Abington Sr Hi loved April Henry mysteries!!! Now that I am retired, I continue to read and love her books and this 2nd in the series was such an addicting psychological thriller, I could not put it down, devoured it in one day. Cheyenne was blinded from a very sharp impact to her skull, and after being found in the car that was carjacked by Griffin Sawyer, Cheyenne's life since then has been one of a bodyguard/also martial arts instructor, no friends, home and school until the trial is over, hopefully convicting Griffin's dad, Roy, with their testimony (Griffin & Cheyenne). But Roy has plans to put all the blame on Griffin and have his son serve time in prison; and that is how Plan B gets put into effect. Cheyenne rocked as a blind teen who knows how to protect herself; she is one of my fave characters; she definitely has some issues, but she is grounded enough to struggle through, keep her fiery personality (as Griffin sees her "bad ass") as a central part of who she is and wants to be in life. I rooted for Griffin and Cheyenne being able to "find each other" again - reluctant readers will love this mystery series; once again April Henry has written a quick thrilling read that will keep teens reading, guessing and fingers crossed! (Read it December 1 but Goodreads would not let me put that date in, argh!!!)

View all my reviews

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book for the December twitter chat with #2jennsbookclub to be held Thursday 12/14 at 8PM; please join us for what will be a timely and awesome discussion! I have read & loved all of Jason Reynolds' books and Long Way Down takes a hard look at the urban violence that has ensnared black teens & men. Will has been taught the rules of the street by his brother, Shawn. When Shawn is shot dead, Will gets his brother's gun and is on his way to honor the rules. As he descends the elevator with his brother's gun in the back of his pants; Will runs into people/family who have been gunned down and as each ghost/spirit relates the gun violence - there are things Will is compelled to think about- is Riggs really the one who shot Shawn, and "Another thing about the rules They weren't meant to be broken. They were meant for the broken to follow." What will Will do as he talks to the spirits in the elevator? I liked how Will used anagrams to help him figure things - scare=cares, ALIVE=A VEIL, FEEL=FLEE and Reynolds first hand knowledge of this life, these kids, and the failures of those older. I will be reading this again; reluctant readers will be absorbed by this urban fiction tale, and I am definitely going to listen to Jason Reynolds' narration on Audible. Highly recommended!

View all my reviews