Deadly Little Secrets by Laurie Faria Stolarz #1 Touch Series

4/5 Stars
B&N:

Some secrets shouldn't be kept...

Until three months ago, everything in sixteen-year-old Camelia's life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades, an okay relationship with her parents, and a pretty cool part-time job at the art studio downtown. But when a mysterious boy named Ben starts junior year at her high school, Camelia's life becomes anything but ordinary.

Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend's accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She's reluctant to believe he's trouble, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. Instead, she's inexplicably drawn to Ben.and to his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he can help-but can he be trusted? She knows he's hiding something... but he's not the only one with a secret.

My Review:

Good book. It's a pretty neat concept. One thing that annoyed me though is the main character's,Camelia, best friend... she just did not seem like a good best friend. She wasn't supportive and just downright rude at points. I didn't think the author did a good job with the characterization of Kimmie (the best friend.) If we, the readers, were supposed to believe that they were best friends, then Kimmie should have been softer.

I did like the connection between Camelia and Ben. I also liked the other male characters that were thrown in there. I'll be reading the 2nd book to the series soon.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

3/5 Stars

B&N:

The last normal moment that Mia, a talented cellist, can remember is being in the car with her family. Then she is standing outside her body beside their mangled Buick and her parents' corpses, watching herself and her little brother being tended by paramedics. As she ponders her state ("Am I dead?I actually have to ask myself this"), Mia is whisked away to a hospital, where, her body in a coma, she reflects on the past and tries to decide whether to fight to live. Via Mia's thoughts and flashbacks, Forman (Sisters in Sanity) expertly explores the teenager's life, her passion for classical music and her strong relationships with her family, friends and boyfriend, Adam. Mia's singular perspective (which will recall Alice Sebold's adult novel, The Lovely Bones) also allows for powerful portraits of her friends and family as they cope: "Please don't die. If you die, there's going to be one of those cheesy Princess Diana memorials at school," prays Mia's friend Kim. "I know you'd hate that kind of thing." Intensely moving, the novel will force readers to take stock of their lives and the people and things that make them worth living.

My Review

I really enjoyed reading this book. I had heard some "blah" reviews about it, but it was put on my desk at school, so I read it. And I'm glad I did. It was really interesting to see the accident and what happened after. The author did a phenomenal job with that part. Towards the end I was getting a little restless with wanting to know what was going to happen. But, overall it was a good read. I do recommend it.

I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan

2/5 Stars

B&N:

It was only an accident -- but it would change their lives forever. Last summer, four terrified friends made a desperate pact to conceal a shocking secret. But some secrets don't stay buried, and someone has learned the truth. Someone bent on revenge. This summer, the horror is only beginning....

My Review:

This was neat book to read only because I've seen the movie a few time and heard that the book is very very different. And it's true...it is different. So, it was kind of neat seeing all the differences and how the author wanted the story to go. It wasn't an amazing book, but for young adults, it was good. It wasn't too scary- but it had just the right amount of suspense and such. It also kept you guessing on who was the "killer" and such.

Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

3/5 Stars

B&N:

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.


My Review:

I really should have done this right after I read it... it's been a month or so now.

This was rumored to be the "Next Twilight..." but for me... that is not how I see it- at all. I was forcing myself to get through this book. Yea- it was OK, but I think I had such high expectation for it that I was let down.

My students love it... maybe if I read it again, I'll like it more.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

5/5 Stars

B&N:
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival.

My Review: This book was great! I got it free from scholastic, as did a few other teachers, and I'm so happy I did. I was talking with another teacher and she mentioned how it reminded her of the short stories "The Lottery" and "The Most Dangerous Game." I fully agree.

It also reminded me of a really bad movie I saw about adults being dropped off on an island, and I believe it was a game show type thing and they had to kill each other... last one standing wins. Which is basically what this book is. It has a few twists and a few "Ahhh!" moments which makes you keep reading. It's a fast read because it just sucks you in.

***Catching Fire (2nd book) and Mockingjay (3rd/last book) I rate 5's as well! Amazing series.

Rage Stephen King

4/5 Stars

B&N: In Rage , a high-school student goes berserk in the classroom, killing the teacher and holding the class hostage.

My Review: I've never read any fiction by Stephen King. I've read his On Writing, which I really enjoyed. This story was given to me by one of my students. He told me he thought I'd like it. I did like it. Although I was frustrated at the end when 2 lines were edited out of a letter- King did this on purpose- but I wanted to know what they said! :)

Unwind by Neal Shusterman (Amazing book!!!!)

5/5 Stars

B&N Summary:

In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would "unwind" them

Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can't be harmed — but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away.

In Unwind, Boston Globe/Horn Book Award winner Neal Shusterman challenges readers' ideas about life — not just where life begins, and where it ends, but what it truly means to be alive.


My Review:

Holy smokes this was so good. I didn't want it to end. It pulls you right in and I can see some amazing discussions coming from it.

I would LOVE to discuss this books with some of my students!!! So read it so we can talk about it!!!!