It Starts With Us (It Ends With Us, #2) by Colleen Hoover

It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just as I loved It Ends With Us, so did I love the love story of Atlas and Lily as they told alternating chapters. Being lifelong friends, now adults and bumping into each other, they work to get back together quickly despite her raging jealous husband and life as it throws challenges that they meet because this time it will start with them!!! Highly recommended!

View all my reviews

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street (The Vanderbeekers, #1) by Karina Yan Glaser

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book so much! The kids are adorable; their parents are very likable because they are involved. The many neighbors and friends of the Vanderbeekers are thoroughly enjoyable and even enemies become friends. I am definitely going to be reading this series of an interracial family living in Harlem with all their pets; and I am getting copies of the book for my granddaughter she will LOVE it!

View all my reviews

Himawari House by Harmony Becker

Himawari House by Harmony Becker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nao, Hyejung, and Tina come to Tokyo for different reasons and live together in Himawari House and go to school together. They become friends with others and endure struggles with language barriers, judgments of others, and other personal insecurities. It was nice to see through the drawings and the characters thoughts and words how they become friends and support each other through language barriers and by celebrating customs and foods and Chinese New Year. This is a graphic novel that uses spare black and white drawings and delivers a book that is quietly powerful.

View all my reviews

Guts by Raina Telgemeier

Guts by Raina Telgemeier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Raina T is one of my favorite middle school graphic novel authors! I enjoy all of books whether fiction or nonfiction. She is funny, brings authenticity to her characters, but also knows how to introduce to her young readers troubles (like tummy troubles, friendship dilemmas, bullying, etc) through her graphic novel format, which is truly inspiring! A must read for all- parents, kids, guidance counselors, school nurses)!

View all my reviews

Echoes Between Us by Katie McGarry

Echoes Between Us by Katie McGarry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tom Doherty Associates and Tor Teen for the advance reader copy, Echoes Between Us by awesome YA romance author, Katie McGarry, in exchange for an honest review. I love the way this story unfolded; cool guy Sawyer and weird Veronica are new neighbors since his mom is renting the first floor of V’s house. But both of their personalities hide enormous pain in their lives; Sawyer’s divorced Mom (along with absentee Dad) have put him in the awful position as caretaker for his 6- year-old sister and his mother (she drinks on weekends) but this has caused Sawyer to develop a secret, dangerous addiction. Veronica (V to her friends) believes in ghosts; she sees and talks to her dead mother all the time. I rooted for Sawyer and Veronica! Katie McGarry has written a hard-hitting story about teens with haunting secrets; parents who don’t care (Sawyer) as opposed to a close family relationship with their teen (Veronica), and high school friendships that are fierce to their core; I loved every word in this novel! Both Sawyer and V have friends they totally depend on but these friends do not like seeing the new closeness between V and Sawyer. As they work on a class project together about the existence of ghosts; Sawyer and Veronica open up to one another, becoming very attached. This poignant, mesmerizing, gripping novel reminded me of one of my favorite Katie McGarry novels, Crash Into You, with Isaiah and Rachel, my very special protagonists. I could not stop turning the pages. Katie McGarry is a gifted writer for teens and is totally delivers with real themes, current topics, and contemporary issues they want to read! Highly recommended.

View all my reviews

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to this for 2 wonderful reasons: for the 2018 HUB Reading Challenge (I had read the ARC) and this book will be discussed on twitter book chat with #2jennsbookclub on Thursday 6/14 at 8PM. Listening to this book from Audible tugged once again at my heart!
Narrated awesomely by: Michael Crouch, Robbie Daymond, Bahni Turpin I was devastated and happy with the Last Friend app that brings Rufus and Mateo together after they are contacted by deathcast that this is their end day. Through the narration, Silvera's beautiful writing the reader is blesses with this enduring story that celebrates friendships, family and the power of love- a must read!

Thank you to Edelweiss and HarperTeen for the ARC, They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera. I LOVE Adam Silvera’s writing style, and this 3rd new book is just as moving! I was so impressed by Silvera’s note to readers setting the affirming, challenging, positive tone, inspiring and challenging all of us to “be who you want to be” encouraging friendships and experiences, free from insecurities and judgments. Rufus and Mateo are real teens dealing with the horrendous news that this is the last day of their lives. Rufus is a foster child who has a tight group of friends, calling themselves The Plutos while Mateo is a sheltered, sweet teen whose Dad is in a coma. Death Cast is the entity alerting people to their day of death. Since they are going to die “today” both Mateo and Rufus, who do not know each other yet, decide to use the Last Friend app, and spend their day together. While I was not a fan of the whole Death-Cast part of the story, I totally enjoyed these two opposites, meeting one another, getting to know one another, and enjoying their final day with a growing and deepening friendship. Silvera has such a sweet gift for writing sympathetic stories that grip you from page one, tug on your heart, and keep you turning those pages, all the while blowing your nose and wiping tears from your eyes. This is a must read that teens will be caring about and sharing. This book stole my heart and spoke to the power of friends, relationships, and family. Highly recommended!

View all my reviews

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book for the #2jennsbookclub twitter chat to be held 11/9 at 8PM. Molly was such a likable character; she was shy but always positive, such a uniquely creative person and very aware she is considered "large" or "chubby." She has a twin sister who is thin, blond, gay and I think too harsh with Molly and then gets too secretive when she starts seeing a new girl (she has never been like this before!) as well as trying to overzealously set Molly up with new guy, Will. I loved the family dynamic with the two moms, their upcoming plans for their nuptials, and Molly's new job with coworker, Reid who is funny, nerdy, into Tolkein and super nice. Albertalli really knows how to craft a story; I loved her first book and I think I like this one even more. She gets teens, their dramas, their relationships, and pulls the readers in with the honesty, humor, and ultimate happiness of a really great book.

View all my reviews

Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen

Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book for #yearofya August twitter chat dealing with 1980s and 1990s books (can be set in those year or published in those years) and it was published in 1999 and I just love Sarah Dessen! Her books were always out in my HS library. Coli is a 15 year old teen who has had a tough life of moving around with her mom (no dad), being fat and bullied in school. Fast forward and Coli is thin, daughter of a now famous aerobics mom and being sent to live with her aunt for the summer whie her mom travels fro business. And what Coli thinks will be a horrible summer turns out to be a very interesting one where she meets friends (2 sister waitresses who have alot to say), tries to understand her eccentric aunt, and begins to give herself and others (Norman) a chance. Dessen had me turning the pages as I rooted for Coli and totally detested the mean bullies. Coli's conflicts were crushing but with a new outlook, she just might figure things out. For those who loved Dumplin' & Holding Up the Universe, this book will resonate!

View all my reviews

AList of Cages by Robin Roe

A List of Cages by Robin Roe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this wrenching book for my monthly twitter chat book club #YAbookchat and oh was it powerful, crushing, and spoke deeply of the power to wound and try to thwart goodness. Julian is young when his parents are killed in a car accident. Julian is a sweet child who was loved deeply by his parents. When they die, Julian ponders just what their death means, where do they go, and what is his mission in life - but since he does not ask anyone these questions but himself, he has no answers. In shock, he is a foster child living with Adam and his mother and slowly begins to heal until his uncle comes to claim him and claim him he does. Russell is a monster who mentally & physically tortures Julian with lies, fists, and a VERY warped way to make Julian be a man. For anyone to do what he does, Russell has to be mentally ill and the fact that he is able to take Julian's sweet fragile life and make Julian believe he is worthless, a problem that no one wants is abhorrent until the day Adam comes back into Julian's life. Adam is popular, loved Julian like a brother until 5 years before when Julian was taken away, never allowed to visit Adam and his mom and now is skipping school on a regular basis. Will Adam be able to rescue Julian? It can't come quickly enough. Taut, psychologically unnerving, Julian needs the beautiful person Adam JUST is. Adam has the ability to be happy, kind, and positive. Along with his huge gang of friends I rooted for Adam to pull Julian in with all his love, friendship and brotherhood!!!

View all my reviews

Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley

Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for the ARC, Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley. Fifteen year old Aki and her best friend, Lori, pinky swear on a bet that they will be exploring their sexuality and rating it and comparing it with each other while with their church group in Mexico. Aki is African American and the preacher’s daughter and it is through her very authentic, honest, questioning character the reader follows her as she meets and traverses a romantic, bisexual relationship with Christa (from another Church group). Aki also has lots of drama with family and friend issues too. What I liked about this book is that it raised many issues and explored many relationships. Through Aki we see the teen world with lying, bullying, best friend, and also family, drama. But as Aki maneuvers her way through her summer trip, love life, and countless serious, happy, striking moments, she becomes a character you root for as she grows and changes messily (loved the debates). The reader gets an up close and questioning look at religion, Mexico, family problems, teen friendships, bullying, and bisexuality. The characters are well drawn (adults and teens) with the added backdrop of living and volunteering in a third world country making this a realistic contemporary novel, teens need. I loved in the Author Notes how Robin Talley wishes she had a book like this to read when she was a teen. Recommended.

View all my reviews

Exposed by Kimberly Marcus

Exposed by Kimberly Marcus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Liz is a great photographer, a senior with a loyal boyfriend, and best friend forever in Kate since they were six years old. But all of this changes when their once a month slumber party is marred with a fight. Liz accuses Kate of being too comfortable and never taking a chance, their argument ends in Liz angry and stomping up to her room, leaving Kate in the basement. What happens next is open to interpretation. This novel in verse reminded me of the Alex Flinn book, Fade to Black where the reader is not sure who is telling the truth...this is what happens in Exposed and Liz's lens of the world changes, and she begins to lose her moral compass. A great read for girls, reluctant readers, and anyone who likes novels in verse.

View all my reviews

So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti

So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Another great Colasanti read about friendship and relationships! Brooke is a genius student (which she hides with bad grades and a bad attitude about school) who has been in SECRET love with Scott Abrams for the last two years. Just when she is about to tell him, Scott’s family is moving to New York. Brooke follows him to NY since they are soul mates and moves in with her dad who left Brooke and her mom when she was a young child. She makes friends with Sadie, Scott and tutors John. As Brooke discovers New York, she begins to find out some good things about herself. A great romance with angst and warm fuzzies (in the book!) girls will pass this around to all their friends.Romance




View all my reviews