Scar Girl by Len Vlahos

Scar Girl by Len Vlahos
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group and Carolrhoda Lab for the ARC, Scar Girl by Len Vlahos. If you loved Scar Boys, you will love the band’s success while you will be tremendously saddened by the band’s secrets and those effects on each member. Vlahos does another stellar job of crafting a band story that is so much more than that- the energy created from their music vibrates and reaches deep into our souls as Johnny, Harry, and Chey struggle with problems they choose not to share with one another. All the while they are attaining monumental success as a band. What will happen to the Scar Boys? What will happen to each member of the band? This sequel crushed me to my core and I vote for another book, Scar Boys Rule! Highly recommended!

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Noggin by John Corey Whaley

Noggin by John Corey Whaley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved JCW's first book, Where Things Come Back and Noggin is just as awesome! Even though the premise is as Whaley says, "ridiculous" his writing, his characters, and his words ALL make this book great and a must read. Travis is so believable as a confused teen who has his head re-attached onto someone else's body. Unbelievable, right---but thanks to Dr. Saranson and cryogenics, Travis becomes one of the two patients who come back. With cancer and a body shot to hell with drugs, Travis and his family sign up to have Travis' head frozen and bringing him back...someday. He comes back (a lots quicker than imagined---5 years) to his parents and best friend, Kyle, and girlfriend, Cate, all five years older and moved on. Travis, Kyle, Cate, and new teen friend, Hatton are all characters you like, want to know and very supportive of Travis being back and trying to logically figure out this new life. There were so many wonderful quotes because Whaley is such a tremendous writer--he challenges you with his words and makes you love his characters, their world and their lives.
p. 74 when Travis wants to see his Cate, his soul mate and love "And now I just wanted to see her. I didn't care if she looked different. I didn't care if she had a fiancé and I didn't care if she said she didn't want to see me, because that's bullshit. I was there first, and after seeing Kyle and Audrey an all those kids at school ...all I could think about was seeing and hearing and touching the one person I'd promised to come back for. We had to finish what we started. We got to do that now. No one else could say that. We,,. Lawrence Ramsey could but not one else. We had to go for it. Just like those doctors had done with my head and Jeremy's body, I had to take my old life and mash it together with this new one. That meant there'd probably have to be a few more scars."

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The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black


I love Holly Black and this dark world of Faerie folk living side by side in Fairfold is cunningly slow to unfold. So read very closely all the juicy details and bread crumbs... There is a horned boy asleep in a glass coffin in the forest; everyone knows and visits this landmark (and do all kinds of wild things in, on and around the coffin). As brother and sister, Hazel and Ben grow up they both love this boy and dream of freeing him from the evil that holds him captive. They even play at fighting evil in the forest with Ben's best friend, Jack---who is not quite human. For a deep read where all characters are struggling with their own demons and a town that has many secrets in their history--Black's book of faerie does not disappoint. There is horror, love, lies, and lots of dark fantasy---very alluring read.

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I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusack

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I re-read this book as part of the 2014 Hub Challenge and it is still one of my favorite books. Ed thinks of himself as a loser; he drives a cab and loves his best friend, Audrey (who doesn't love him back), and I will never forget his coffee drinking dog, The Doorman. When Ed foils a bank robbery, he begins to receive playing cards in the mail, directing him to different situations and we see how well (or not) he handles the different missions. It is the slow, sure way that Ed becomes a different person by helping others that impacted me the most. I loved reading hangdog Ed and seeing him become a better person with each person he helped. A very satisfying read:)

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Every Day by David Levithan

Every Day by David Levithan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, I just really loved this book, A. and Rhiannon, and the many other people A is each day. But I was also very sad, because when A falls in love with Rhiannon, you want everything to be possible for them, like their first day together when they spend the day at the ocean. Even though it may seem fantastical that A. isn't a person, but someone who becomes another person for just 24 hours. Levithan's A. is sympathetic, has had to get used to something he cannot control since he was born...waking up every day, somewhere else, a male or a female, black, white or any other culture, happy, sad, a jerk, suicidal, fat, geeky, etc. But the day he wakes up as Justin, A, isn't really a fan of Justin, until he meets Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon. She seems tentative around Justin and A. just falls for her niceness, her smile and decides to throw all his caution to the wind and spend a very special day with her. The day at the ocean is perfect. It is only later, in another body, another day that A. becomes driven to see Rhiannon, even if it is 5 hours away. At some point, A tells Rhiannon who he is and Rhiannon, being touched by the special person A is, decides to (a little unwillingly) meet up with A, whenever possible. Will they find true love? Well, there is alot more going on in this book, so you have to read it to find out. But I think teens will love this book! It is full of yearning, honesty (even amongst the lies)and I see it as probing the teen uncertainties---when A. is fat, when A. is a girl, when A is black---how does Rhiannon act towards him? I think teens will see the many possiblities and keep on turning those pages, I know I did! I can't wait to discuss it with my boys and girls because I think both will see the good in A. and Rhainnon. Enjoy this YouTube video of many YA authors who are different characters in this wonderfully compelling story, High recommended!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZjSHv...


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Take Me There by Susane Colasanti

Take Me There by Susane Colasanti
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Love Susane Colasanti books! Told by three different friends' perspectives; Rhiannon has been dummped by Steve and he hasn't really given her a reason why. Rhee's best friend Nicole has just broken up with Danny, she is not sure why; but Danny definitely still cares about Nicole. James is Rhiannon's friend and hates his life and just wants to get away to college so he can make lots of money after he graduates. There is drama, suspense and a whole lot of teen angst going on in this book. I truly enjoyed all the characters, even mean girl, Gloria. Colasanti did a great job of showing how supportive these friends were; yet they still kept secrets and heartache from their friends. It was nice to see the progression of Rhee's friendship with James. Even Mrs. Schaffer knew James cared for Rhee, but it took Rhee (after she really realized Steve was over her and dating a new girl) trusting herself and feeling comfortable and whole around James to realize he would make her life better. Nicole has issues that resolve when she realizes she truly cares about Danny and that she must tell her friends the truth in order to be free. I love the way Colasanti paints New York, her characters' thoughts, and their language. I would have given this book 5 stars if there was only one narrator; with the 3 narrators, there was sometimes overlap and going back and forward in time, that might take away from the story, not add to it.

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The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved LaCour's Hold Still and boy did I love this one too! Colby is such a great narrator. He loves Bev, she has been his best friend since forever and he can't wait to go on tour with her all girl band, The Disenchantments, before he and Bev tour Europe. They have decided not to go to college like everyone else. The other band members are Alexa(younger sister to Meg and still in high school) and Meg (will be dropped off to college at the end of the band's tour )while Colby is the driver of his uncle's prized Melinda, set-up guy and go to guy for everyone. He is an awesome artist, so is Bev, which makes it even more difficult when Bev acts very strange at the start of the tour and tells Colby she applied to RISD and will attend in the fall!!! Colby is stunned because Bev gives him no explanation, but Meg and Alexa make him feel great. They go to some interesting stops on their tour, get involved in trying to solve a tattoo mystery, and meet some "different" people, places, etc. There were so many great quotes, Colby SEES things and his comments are insightful, thoughtful, yet you know he is clamoring to find some meaning in this tour and what should he do now that they are not going to Europe. The more I found out about Colby's friends and what made them unique, LaCour's writing, setting, characters were all so memorable. I am not into tattoes, still am not after reading this book, but I do like the murals and graffitti artistry. Recommended!

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