Clockwise

Title: Clockwise

Author: Elle Strauss

Pages: 295

Language: G

Content: G

Level: Middle School/High School

Recommendation: Must Read

Summary: Casey Donovan, a fifteen year old with crazy curly hair, has a problem. She trips. Back in time, that is. Her secret is known only by her best friend, until she accidentally takes her amazingly cute crush, Nate, with her. Hello Civil War, goodbye twenty-first century.

Review:  Clockwise is a great read for anyone liking time travel or American history. This book was an AWESOME step outside the oh-so-common YA paranormal/sci-fi/fantasy mojo that has been going on lately. The main character is quirky, awkward, has her wits about her, and is all around believable. I found myself laughing out loud at times. Seriously, Casey Donovan would have been my best friend in high school. Definitely a must read. AND IT IS A FREE KINDLE BOOK RIGHT NOW, SO GO GET IT!

Insurgent

Title: Insurgent (Divergent #2)
Author: Veronica Roth
Pages: 544
Language: PG
Content: PG13
Level: Middle School/High School
Recommendation: Must Read

Summary: Insurgent picks up right where Divergent left off. Tris must keep the people she cares about alive while dealing with the grief of the people she has lost. War is looming and Four and Tris are at the forefront while trying to decide who to trust, where to go and exactly what it means to be divergent. 

Review:  I love that no time was lost between book one and two. Very often the second book in a series suffers, but not Insurgent. We get to see a depth to each faction and the factionless which makes this series even more believable. Definitely a must read!

The List

Title: The List
Author: Siobhan Vivian
Pages: 332
Language: R
Swears: 20+ swears, 10+ "F"s
Content: PG13
Level: High School
Recommendation: Optional

Summary: An intense look at the rules of high school attraction -- and the price that's paid for them. It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn't matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up.

This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, "pretty" and "ugly." And it's also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection of the two.

Review:  I found this book a little "cliche".  Although it does tackle the tough world of high school, this book just didn't grab me.  I had a hard time keeping track of characters ~ who was "ugly" and who was "pretty".  The language of one character nearly did me in, although I can see why the author chose to present the character that way, I still struggled with it.  The book does show the effects of labeling, but I didn't love the way she presented it.

The Nigh She Disappeared

 Title: The Night She Disappeared
Author: April Henry
Pages: 229
Language: PG
Content: PG
Level: Middle/High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary:Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also works part time as a delivery girl at Pete’s Pizza. One night, Kayla—another delivery girl—goes missing. To her horror, Gabie learns that the supposed kidnapper had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night. Gabie can’t move beyond the fact that Kayla’s fate was really meant for her, and she becomes obsessed with finding Kayla. She teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete’s. Together, they set out to prove that Kayla isn’t dead—and to find her before she is.

Review: Very interesting book.  The reader's attention is grabbed from the first page and doesn't stop.  Told through alterating characters, the reader gets just enough of a glimpse into each character to get some insight, but keep the mystery going. 

Curveball

Title: Curveball
Author: Jordan Sonneblick
Pages: 285
Language: PG
Content: PG
Level: High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: Sometimes, the greatest comebacks take place far away from the ball field.   Meet Peter Friedman, high school freshman. Talented photographer. Former baseball star. When a freakish injury ends his pitching career, Peter has some major things to figure out. Is there life after sports? Why has his grandfather suddenly given him thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment? And is it his imagination, or is the super-hot star of the girls' swim team flirting with him, right in front of the amazing new girl in his photography class?

Review: I enjoyed this book...I also enjoy photography...so this book was a match for me.  I love the development of the characters, and the issues that Peter has to deal with during his freshman year in high school.  Good read for boys and girls alike.