Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

4/5 Stars

My Summary:

Trella is a Scrub. Scrubs are insignificant nobodies who roam the bottom two levels. They do all the dirty work because they're scrubs. The Uppers live in peace and luxury.

Trella lives in the pipes that she cleans. She doesn't want interact with any of the Scrubs; she just wants to be left alone to explore.

This plan was working for her until someone sought her out for help. But helping would disrupt Trella's world. The Pop Cops don't want this world disrupted and will take-out anyone who tries.

By helping, she'll learn things about her world that the Pop Cops and controllers do not want anyone to know. She'll learn the truth about the Uppers, about her world, about relationships, about her "family," and about herself.

Trella starts a rebellion. One she can't stop. But, does she really want to stop it?


My Review:

I really enjoyed this book. The beginning was a little confusing due to the different world Maria created. It took me a few minutes to really wrap my mind around it. It is such a different world she created- through pipes and floor levels. Some of her explanations were a bit much for me because I couldn't understand what she was talking about at first, but as I kept reading I figured out I just needed to know the basics to get the story going.

The character of Trella was created very well. She is strong and determined. She complains a lot about not caring and not wanting to change things and not believing...but one can see through that before she does.

Moving through the story and seeing her relationships with the different characters was very interesting. Seeing how she interacted with one character but not others.

The suspense was perfect. Enough to keep one reading. There were some good twists throughout the book. I enjoyed at the end how I figured something out, Trella knew it, but another character couldn't put two and two together.

The really liked the character Riley. I kept wanting Trella and Riley to spend more time together.

On the last page you find out the book will be in a series. That was crushing because it's not out yet! I will definitely pick up the next one.

Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford

3/5 Stars

B&N:

I'm not crazy. I don't see what the big deal is about what happened. But apparently someone does think it's a big deal because here I am. I bet it was my mother. She always overreacts.

Fifteen-year-old Jeff wakes up on New Year's Day to find himself in the hospital. Make that the psychiatric ward. With the nutjobs. Clearly, this is all a huge mistake. Forget about the bandages on his wrists and the notes on his chart. Forget about his problems with his best friend, Allie, and her boyfriend, Burke. Jeff's perfectly fine, perfectly normal, not like the other kids in the hospital with him. Now they've got problems. But a funny thing happens as his forty-five-day sentence drags on—the crazies start to seem less crazy.

Compelling, witty, and refreshingly real, Suicide Notes is a darkly humorous novel from award-winning author Michael Thomas Ford that examines that fuzzy line between "normal" and the rest of us.

My Review:

This was an "OK" book. I really like the books about mental hospitals and such and this one wasn't too bad. Jeff is telling us his story about being in the hospital. He takes us through meeting the other teens there and the relationships he has with them. You know that he tried to kill himself, but you don't really find out why until the end. They give hints and he lies a lot, but the total story doesn't come out until the end. There was one part towards the end that was very touching...I didn't see it coming- although I should have.

I noticed on the inside of the book that it lists key topics that it deals with and one topic it mentions is homosexuality. This is fine with me and I would even consider putting it in my library (although I know some people at my school wouldn't be too happy-) actually, let me rephrase that. I'd keep it in my classroom- but behind my desk. That way I can really track who is reading it. BUT because of some of the descriptions on what happens... whether it be between males or females or males and females- it's a bit too graphic for 8th grade.

The character Jeff is great though. His humor and quick wit had me laughing at loud many times.

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summer

4/5 Stars

Regina Afton used to have it all. She was one of the “Fearsome Fivesome,” a group of high school girls who were the “mean girls.” They ruled the school. They didn’t care who they hurt. They used fear to enhance their popularity. Then something happens that causes Regina to be “frozen out.” One day she’s part of the five, the next she’s the target.

While battling with her old best friends and trying to survive each day in high school, Regina befriends social outcast Michael. Michael used to be her enemy- one of her victims…but now she needs to rely on him more than ever.

This book shows us the ugly side of bullying but also shows us what happens when it’s turned around and the bully gets bullied. Throughout the book the reader is able to see the characters change and how they react to what’s happening. It’s also very interesting to see how a group of teens can change someone’s life in the blink of an eye. One moment Regina is at the top, and then she is pushed to the bottom and the entire school is against her. To see the power that takes place within the social aspect of a high school is very eye opening.

There is mature content within this novel. Drugs, drinking, and the hint of sex are all mentioned throughout the book. Also, the language is true to life with how some teenagers speak. This is definitely a high school book. High school students will be able to relate to the characters in the book and the events that take place within the book. You will find yourself cheering along characters and then really disliking others. This is a great book that hopefully will help some people realize the real issues with bullying. One must question though, will reading this book change how bullies see what the problems they cause as Regina did? One can only hope. I do believe that if students read this novel, it could help.

The Amanda Project by Stella Lennon

3/5 Stars

B&N:

Amanda Valentino changed everything.

Callie Leary has exactly one thing, and one thing only, in common with Nia Rivera and Hal Bennett: They were each chosen by Amanda to be her guide. When Amanda arrived at Endeavor High, she told Callie she moves around a lot and always picks one person to help her navigate the choppy waters of a new school. Why did Amanda lie?

Following a course that they suspect Amanda deliberately plotted, Callie, Nia, and Hal piece together some cryptic clues. But they find more questions than answers and quickly realize that before they can figure out what happened to Amanda—the girl who changed their lives—they'll need to solve the most important mystery of all: Who is Amanda Valentino?

My Review:

Just from reading what the book was about, I found myself thinking it sounded rather similar to Thirteen Reasons Why(AMAZING BOOK!). As I started reading it, I realized yes, it has some similarities, but it was a lot less edgy. The story was good. I liked how these three totally different teens end up coming together and realizing things about both each other and themselves.

It says it's going to be a series. I'll probably read the rest just to see what they add to it and if things that were left unanswered become answered.

Beastly by Alex Finn

4/5 Stars

B&N:

A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright – a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.

You think I’m talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It’s no deformity, no disease. And I’ll stay this way forever – ruined – unless I can break the spell.

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she urn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.

My Review:

This book interested me because I thought it would be neat to read the story of Beauty and the Beast, but told through the beast's point of view. This book took it to another level by placing it in modern day. The whole spin on the witch who turned Kyle into a beast was really interesting to read. The author took all different versions of Beauty and the Beast and combined some things to create this one. I did enjoy to look at the connections between this one and the Disney movie version. As I was reading, I found myself thinking, "Oh- that's where Belle and the Beast..."

What I thought was a cute idea, but I didn't really like was the Chat sessions. It was cute at first to see other "fairy tale" characters chatting with each other, but then it got kind of lame.

Overall, a good read.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

5/5 Stars

B&N:

In the course of her dark and eventful tale, Cashore plays with the idea of awkwardness, how at a certain age gifts and talents are burdens, how they make it impossible to feel comfortable in the world. And in this she writes a fairly realistic portrait of teenage life into the baroque courts of her outlandish kingdoms…In many respects Graceling is a study of mysterious angers: it offers a perfect parable of adolescence, as its characters struggle with turbulent emotions they must learn to control. The consequences are more tangible than they usually are in more mundane settings—if Katsa loses control, she breaks someone's jaw by accident—but the principle is the same. The teenage characters in this novel, like some we may know in life, grow into their graces. They realize that their monstrous individuality is not so monstrous after all.


My Review:

This book got many many great reviews that I just had to add it to my list to read. One of my students actually bought it for me for Christmas! I was so excited. I read it a bit ago, but am now just writing the review.

I really enjoyed this book. The whole concept was interesting. Children developing Graces that change their entire life. They are viewed differently and treated differently. Some Graces are more accepted than others. Katsa is deadly. Her uncle uses this to his advantage basically taking who she is away.

While on a mission, Katsa meets someone who will change her life forever.

There is mystery, action, and romance all in this book. The characters are developed nicely. They are believable and interesting.

I have yet to read the sequel- although I heard it was more of a companion novel than an actual sequel. I did hear it was good though, some say better than the 1st.

Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman

5/5 Stars


B&N:
"There is little more likely to exasperate a person of sense than finding herself tied by affection and habit to an Enthusiast." Julie knows from bitter experience: her best friend, Ashleigh, is an Enthusiast. Ashleigh's current fancy is also Julie's own passion, Pride and Prejudice, and the heroine's quest for True Love. And so Julie finds herself swept along with Ashleigh, dressed in vintage frocks and sneaking into a dance at the local all-boys' prep school. There they discover several likely candidates for True Love, including the handsome and sensitive Parr. And Julie begins to wonder if maybe this obsession of Ashleigh's isn't so bad after all. . .

My Review:


This book started off slow, but then it got really good. I didn't want to stop reading it. I had recently just finished re-reading Pride and Prejudice so it was a perfect book to read. The connections with Pride and Prejudice was neat. I found myself laughing the the characters and making connections because I knew what they were talking about. The characters were well developed and mostly believable. One thing I noticed though was the emails that we sent back and forth seemed a bit formal. This could be what the author wanted to show from the boys from the prep school, but it just seemed a bit formal for high school kids.

This is a young adult book and I believe the girls will enjoy it, but I think they'd like it a lot more if they have actually read Pride and Prejudice- although it's not a "have to have read" book.

While reading the book I found myself really getting into it. I would laugh out loud at some parts.

I read it in a few days- was actually mad that I had to work and wasn't able to read it.

Overall a great read.