Amplified by Tara Kelly

4/5 Stars

B&N:

When privileged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she's the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has major stage fright and the cute bassist doesn't think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it. . . .



In this fresh new novel by critically acclaimed author Tara Kelly, Jasmine finds out what happens when her life gets Amplified.

Babe in Boyland by Jody Gehrman

4/5 Stars

B&N:

Natalie boldly goes where no girl has gone before in this fresh, funny peek inside the male mind!

Natalie writes the relationship column for her high school newspaper. Then she is accused of knowing nothing about guys and giving girls bad relationship advice, so she decides to disguise herself as a guy and spend a week at Underwood Academy, the private all-boys boarding school in town. And in the process, she learns about guys, though in ways she never expected. But when she starts to fall for her dreamy roommate, things get even more complicated. The fun doesn't stop in this light, lively offering for teen girls.

My Review:

So... this was a really cute book...even though it was extremely similar to that 80s movie Just One of the Guys.

Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett

4/5 Stars

B&N:

Jen's life of partying and sneaking out has grown stale. So on a whim, Jen makes a bet to turn Trevor, a goody-two-shoes geek, into a "bad boy." As she hangs out with Trevor, however, she finds it's actually kinda fun being a geek. But when Trevor finds out about the bet, Jen must fight for the things she's discovered matter most: friendship, family, and, above all, love.

Love at First Click by Elizabeth Chandler

3/5 Stars

B&N:

I could no longer deny what the heat in my cheeks meant when I was around Flynn. I was falling for my sister's boyfriend.

There's just something about Flynn. Yes, he's a tall, unbelievably gorgeous, dark-haired football player, but . . . he's also sweet and nice and super easy to talk to. It's lucky I'm the photographer for the school paper, because my camera likes Flynn almost as much as I do. Unfortunately for me, so does my sister, and there's no way I can nab Flynn with her in the picture.

But could this be the real thing?

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

4/5 Stars

B&N:

Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances, a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.

So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life—and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.

It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last....

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

5/5 Stars
B&N:

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker–his classmate and crush–who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

My Review:

I read this book when it first came out (a couple of years ago), and I loved it. I have no idea how I missed putting it in this blog!

It became one of my favorite books. I loved how raw it was. Also, the format of it was incredibly interesting. The way the author had to the story go from present time, to past, and then with the tapes and listening to Hannah...just amazing.

I can't believe it was the author's first book.

In fact, it stayed in hard cover extra long because the sales were doing so well (I emailed the author about when it was going to be put into paperback way back when, and that was his answer.).

I do recommend this book to my 8th grade students because I fell it leaves a lasting important message (Also- see the book Speak for another one all teen girls should read!).

There is one really "adult" part. It's only a line or two, but you can see why the author puts it there. I explain this to the students. (Also, I keep this book behind my desk so that I can monitor who wants to read it and such. I also always have a discussion with the students after they read it.) The author put this part (hot tub scene) in the book to really show Hannah finally giving up.

Again, this is one of the most amazing books I've read and will keep recommending it.