The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

READ the BOOK before you SEE the MOVIE (if you haven't already).  I always enjoy John Green's novels and Fault in Our Stars did not disappoint.  This book is sad and funny.  The characters are one's you will fall in love with...which is hard because the 2 main characters meet in a cancer support group. You just have to read how these two characters deal with their cancer, falling in love and loss.  John Green dedicated this book to Esther Earl, a girl he met that inspired his character Hazel Grace.  I also have purchased her book entitled: This Star Won't Go Out: The life and words of Esther Grace Earl.  I'll let you know how that one is, as soon as I've finished it.  We also have The Fault in Our Stars on the iPod shuffles.

Cut by Patricia McCormick

I bought this book after an 8th grader borrowed if from another school and absolutely loved it.  (This was an 8th grader who didn't really "like to read" so I was thrilled she found something that spoke to her)   Callie is in a residential treatment home called Sea Pines.  The other girls in her ward call it Sick Minds.  All the girls are their for treatment for things like anorexia, bulimia, or drug abuse.  Callie is a cutter.  She self harms as a way to deal with overwhelming emotions.  This is Callie's journey of self discovery.  This book is only 157 pages but it is a powerful story of a girl who finds her voice. 

Seven Wonders: The Colossus Rises by Peter Lerangis

If you liked the Percy Jackson series, you are going to like this one.  This is book one of what I am assuming will be at least 7 books (get it...seven wonders).  Book One starts with Jack McKinley standing up for a kid against the school bully.  The next minute he has blacked out and is in a hospital on a tropical island.  He and 3 other preteens have been whisked away to this island because they all possess a gene G7W that gives them superhero potential, but may also kill them by the time they are 14.  They are tasked with finding some lost artifacts of Atlantis (the source of Atlantian power) that have been hidden in the 7 wonders of the ancient world.  I love the mythology, and Atlantian legend as well as the information about the 7 wonders of the world.  I have read Books 2 (Lost in Babylon) AND I JUST NOW finished Book 3 (The Tomb of Shadows.)  All three are exciting and action packed and leave you wanting more!  Now I have to wait for book 4!

   

The Originals by Cat Patrick

I am going to make a point to read more of this author's work because I really enjoyed this book.  Lizzie, Ella and Betsey live an unusual life.  They USED to live as identical twins, but now they are having to live life as one person.  They each take 1/3 of the day.  They are now in high school and starting to show some differences.  The girls begin to ask questions about the life they are being forced to lead by their mother.  These questions lead to even more questions!  This novel just pulls you along!! I loved this very "original" book.

Boy 21 by Matthew Quick

What a wonderful story of how true friends and love can bring you through tough times.  Finley loves basketball and uses it as an escape from some of the tragedy of his life.  His coach asks him to befriend Russ, a boy dealing with his own tragic loss.  Russ, who insists on being called "Boy 21," has lost his parents and is now struggling to deal with the world.  He claims he is only here on earth for a short time in order to learn about human emotions and that his family will soon return from space to get him.  Finley and his girlfriend attempt to help Russ through his tough time while dealing with their own family issues.  I just loved the characters in this book.  I like stories that delve into how people deal with grief and overwhelming situations.  This was a truly satisfying read.

Unbreakable: The Legion Book 1 by Kami Garcia

Hold onto your hats folks, this is a fast moving book.  Unbreakable was written by the coauthor of Beautiful Creatures.  Beautiful Creatures was a great supernatural story and so it this one.  It's a ghost story on steroids.  Kennedy never believed in ghosts till a very nasty one (a "vengeance spirit") tries to kill her.  But then things get WORSE.  Kennedy's mom is killed and she is saved by members of an ages old secret society that is supposed to protect the world from a demon!  This is right up my alley. This book gives you a lot of information about the secret society as well as their task in a very short time.  It is action packed and highly engaging...I couldn't put it down.  Now I have to wait till October 7th for book #2.

The Wells Bequest by Polly Shulman

So years ago I read this book called The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman and loved it.  It was about a magical library (The New York Circulating Material Repository) that lends out objects instead of books.  In the story, some of the items from the special Grimm selection (like the fairy tales...magic mirrors, wands, etc) go missing and the library pages have to find them and save one of their own.  Polly Shulman has now given us a companion book to this.  It's not so much the second one in the series because you can read each one as a stand alone book.  This time the book focuses on the collection in the Repository that contains items from science fiction books like the time machine from the H.G. Wells' novel The Time Machine.  I liked the adventure/time travel in this book and the new characters we get to meet as well as all the references to classic sci fi books.  I just LOVE the idea of a magical library and am hoping this author writes about other collections.