Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6) by Sarah J Maas

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved Maas' story of Chaol & Nesryn working to stop a war, their story of beseeching the Sultan of Khagan to join Aelin and Dorian's side. This 6th novel grabbed me and took me only 3 days to finish; I loved her plot, the many characters, but especially Chaol's healer, prince & princes of Kagan, the scary spiders, the ruks, the Vlag demons and always her pacing was excellent, thrilling, and so emotionally charged. Chaol was my favorite before- honorable, serious but so deep in his love for his soldiers & conflicted with his many mistakes. His journey in this book was incredible! I can't wait for #7; Maas' books are my favorites- she combines thrilling world building, deep characters, swoony romance, Fae history and just all around compulsive reading-hihgly recommended.

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Silence (Hush Hush #3) by Becca Fitzpatrick

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved Caitlin Greer's narration of this 3rd book; Nora wakes up in a cemetery after being missing for a summer. She does not remember anything; Fitzpatrick's novel drove home the dark forces plotting against Nora and Patch and the way determined Nora regains her memory is resourceful and determined. I loved Vee, her best friend-hated Hank Miller and her mom's dating, and Scott Parnell's friendship. A great book & audiobook! Can't wait to listen to #4 the final in this thrilling series.

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All the Dirty Parts by Daniel Handler

All the Dirty Parts by Daniel Handler
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I did not like the weird writing style of this book about a boy who is consumed by sex, thoughts of sex, having sex with girls, detailing the many different ways he has sex with girls. Cole gets a bad reputation in high school but he doesn't care; he and his friend go over "all the dirty parts" either by video chat or hanging out together. It is after Cole & his friend experiment (on each other) that a new girl from Europe comes into his life. This time Cole thinks he is in love, but this girl is only out for fun and as time goes on she gets Cole to do the kinds of things Cole did before to others and it is not a good feeling at all. Since Handler has Cole communicate in snippets of information and talk, the reader does not really ever get a good feeling for any character in this story.

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Crescendo (Hush Hus #2) by Becca Fitzpatrick

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook of Fitzpatrick's 2nd book in the Hush Hush series. I love this series and will listen to all 4 but I found this 2nd book irritating in the plot lines of the frustrated romance and the characters of Nora & Patch. There is so much going on with good and bad angels, keeping secrets, that once Nora tells Patch she loves him, it all falls apart. Vee, her best friend, comes to Nora's rescue but since she doesn't know the angel story line- Nora can't tell her EVERYTHING, and besides Vee hates Patch. I did not like how awful Nora was to Patch (she lashes out saying awful things to him time and time again- and tells herself she is helping him by keeping them apart) and how Patch gave her minimal information all the time, hence she does not trust him and begins to hang out with Nora's arch enemy, Marci Miller. She learns more about her father's death, goes into her dreams and into the past, which involves angels, lies, and death. Looking forward to some answers in #3!

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Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Dear Martin by Nic Stone
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s and Crown Books for Young Readers, for the ARC, Dear Martin by Nic Stone. Debut author, Nic Stone, has crafted a realistic fiction and urban fiction novel all teens will be clamoring to read. With the ripped from the headlines news of teens being shot by police and police violence, Stone has written a powerful, hard hitting novel I could not put down. I ached for Justyce, a black teen in a mostly white prep school who is unjustly judged by a white cop; roughed up and handcuffed, as he tries to help his drunk, white girlfriend. The title, Dear Martin, comes from the letters Justyce writes to Dr. King as a project to himself, as he tries to emulate King’s style and words to sort through racism, oppression, and injustice he encounters. Justyce’s problems intensify as he becomes more and more embroiled in incidents that involve him, his school friends, and his neighborhood acquaintances. As Martin leans on friends, his debate teacher, and debate partner (love interest), he becomes more and more disillusioned. Stone’s writing, her characters, and plot were all powerful reminders that there is still a great divide in our world and she raises many valid questions about problems our society needs to solve. Justyce’s world and struggle brings many needed diverse voices and issues to all readers. Today’s teens care about the heated, frustrating questions and concerns Nic Stone tackles in her haunting debut novel. Highly recommended!

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The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to this book as part of the #2jennsbookclub twitter chat to take place Thursday 9/14/17 at 8PM EST, please join us! This is a book EVERYONE must read but I also recommend listening to it as well. The narrator, Bahni Turpin, was just so good at being Star, her 2 lives of mostly white prep school girl and also living (and hiding) in the hood. Turpin's voice got just right the side-eyes, love, honesty, and anger from Star, her family and friends. I so enjoyed getting to know, once again, her fierce parents, her close-knit neighbors, her brothers, Secani and Seven, her white boyfriend, Chris. I hated King and his Lords, their grip on the lives of so many in the neighborhood and the injustice of the death of Kahlil. Highly recocmmended, this book will resonate with all who read it!!!

Debut author, Angie Thomas does a superb job of exposing the racism, frustration, & heart of Star's family, life & community in her project where she lives. But Star lives between 2 worlds because she attends a prep school where she is one of the few black students. As she lives in 2 worlds the reader sees her confusion and irritation as friends make judgments. I really loved her relationship with her white boyfriend, Chris and her family's reactions to Chris were all very different. But it is the night she rides home from a party after gunshots are fired, that changes her life forever. With her best friend, Kahlil, they are pulled over by a white officer things escalate (through no fault of their own) and her friend is shot dead. As Star grapples with losing him, she is also reminded of her best friend being shot when they were 10 years old & playing with fire hydrant spray. What will she do? Angie Thomas explores honestly & deftly injustice, police violence, families, gangs & change. I could not put this book down, highly recommended.

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They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

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

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!

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