Welcome, caller, This is Chloe

Title: Welcome Caller, This Is Chloe
Author: Shelley Coriell
Pages: 299
Content: PG13
Language: PG13 (10+ swears, no "F")
Level: High School
Recommendation: Okay Read

Summary: Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Grams’s mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life. Readers will fall in love with Chloe as she falls in love with the radio station and the misfits who call it home.

Review: Not a bad book, a pretty easy read for teens.  Touches on a few sensitive subjects like drinking and drug abuse.  Chloe has to deal with her share of problems while learning how to be a friend.

Ketchup Clouds

Title: Ketchup Clouds
Author: Annabel Pitcher
Pages: 251
Content: PG13
Language: PG
Level: High School
Recommendation:  Okay Read

Summary: Fifteen-year-old Zoe has a secret—a dark and terrible secret that she can't confess to anyone she knows. But then one day she hears of a criminal, Stuart Harris, locked up on death row in Texas. Like Zoe, Stuart is no stranger to secrets. Or lies. Or murder.

Full of heartache yet humour, Zoe tells her story in the only way she can—in letters to the man in prison in America. Armed with a pen, Zoe takes a deep breath, eats a jam sandwich, and begins her tale of love and betrayal.

Review: I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the plot of this book, however, I had a hard time connecting to the characters.  Some explicit sexual details (which when you thought about how she was writing this in a letter to some older guy she doesn't know was kind of weird), but it was never over the top or gratuitous.

Ten Miles Past Normal

Title: Ten Miles Past Normal
Author: Frances O'Roark Dowell
Pages: 211
Language: PG13
Content: PG
Level: High School, Upper Middle
Recommendation: Okay Read

Summary: Janie Gorman wants to be normal. The problem with that: she’s not. She’s smart and creative and a little bit funky. She’s also an unwilling player in her parents’ modern-hippy, let’s-live-on-a-goat-farm experiment (regretfully, instigated by a younger, much more enthusiastic Janie). This, to put it simply, is not helping Janie reach that “normal target.” She has to milk goats every day…and endure her mother’s pseudo celebrity in the homemade-life, crunchy mom blogosphere. Goodbye the days of frozen lasagna and suburban living, hello crazy long bus ride to high school and total isolation—and hovering embarrassments of all kinds. The fresh baked bread is good…the threat of homemade jeans, not so much.

Review: The characters are all kind of quirky and unique.  And Monster - what a character to add to the story.  The civil war aspect was also nicely added to the book.  It is a short, entertaining read.

Send Me A Sign

Title: Send Me A Sign
Author: Tiffany Schmidt
Pages: 384
Language: PG13
Content: PG13
Level: High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: Mia is always looking for signs. A sign that she should get serious with her soccer-captain boyfriend. A sign that she’ll get the grades to make it into an Ivy-league school. One sign she didn’t expect to look for was: “Will I survive cancer?” It’s a question her friends would never understand, prompting Mia to keep her illness a secret. The only one who knows is her lifelong best friend, Gyver, who is poised to be so much more. Mia is determined to survive, but when you have so much going your way, there is so much more to lose. From debut author Tiffany Schmidt comes a heart-wrenching and ultimately uplifting story of one girl’s search for signs of life in the face of death

Review:  In this book you will find drama, romance, deceit,  and denial.  So what is “the sign”? Mia finds out what life is all about and what a definition of a friend is. A very powerful read!   Mia does face teen situations - so be aware that the book mentions sex, drinking,  and it does contain some swear words. 

Wicked Jealous

Title: Wicked Jealous
Author: Robin Palmer
Pages: 272
Language: PG
Content: PG
Level: Middle/High School
Recommendation: Okay Read

Summary: Simone never saw herself as the “cute girl”—she was always the chunky, band tee wearing, France-obsessed smart girl. But now that Simone’s a few pounds lighter and sporting a new retro style, things have gotten, well, weird. Her crush Jason seems to actually know she exists. And when Simone’s soon-to-be stepmonster Hillary stops ignoring her, Simone knows something is up. When Simone’s brother offers to let her move in with him and his six roommates on the beach for the summer, Simone jumps at the chance. But living with seven very different college boys isn’t exactly helping her land her very own happily ever after.

Review: An easy read with an updated fairy tale and a protagonist that I really enjoyed. Her teen angst was real without being exaggerated like it can be in so many books.This, as if you couldn't tell just by looking at the cover, is a modern day version of Snow White, complete with 7 silly boys, with funny nicknames closely resembling those of the 7 dwarfs. The story is predictable of course, but does have a lot of humor in it which was enjoyable.  Good moral to the story.

The Ruining

Title: The Ruining
Author: Anna Collomore
Pages: 312
Language: PG 13 1 "F" 1 "B"
Content: PG
Level: High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary:  Annie Phillips is thrilled to leave her past behind and begin a shiny new life on Belvedere Island, as a nanny for the picture-perfect Cohen family. In no time at all, she falls in love with the Cohens, especially with Libby, the beautiful young matriarch of the family. Life is better than she ever imagined. She even finds romance with the boy next door.  All too soon cracks appear in Annie's seemingly perfect world. She's blamed for mistakes she doesn't remember making. Her bedroom door comes unhinged, and she feels like she's always being watched. Libby, who once felt like a big sister, is suddenly cold and unforgiving. As she struggles to keep up with the demands of her new life, Annie's fear gives way to frightening hallucinations. Is she tumbling into madness, or is something sinister at play?  The Ruining is a complex ride through first love, chilling manipulation, and the terrifying depths of insanity.

Review: The first half of the book was very intriguing and I felt like I was watching a thriller on television.  I found the second half a little predictable, and the ending was rushed and too neat. I would have liked some ambiguity or even a major big showdown or twist. Still though, this is a good read overall.

The Sweetness of Salt

Title: The Sweetness of Salt
Author: Cecilia Galante
Pages: 305
Language: PG13 10 light swears, 5 "F"
Level: High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary:  Julia is a high school valedictorian with a college scholarship and a coveted summer internship. But when her older sister, Sophie, shows up at graduation determined to reveal some long buried secrets, Julia’s carefully constructed plans come to a halt. Julia follows Sophie back to Vermont, where Sophie is opening a bakery. What follows is a summer of revelations—some heartwarming, some heartbreaking, and all slowly pointing Julia toward a new understanding of herself and of the sister she never knew.

Review: I read the book, needing to read a book with a "yellow" cover.  I expected it to be a cute book, maybe a little bit "bitter" from the title.  The book was full of secrets and characters who had a lot of "problems" to figure out.  I enjoyed the read, but found myself wishing the author had omitted the "F" words, as they didn't add to the storyline at all.  Good characters with a great coming of age storyline.

This Is What Happy Looks Like

Title: This Is What Happy Looks Like

Author: Jennifer E. Smith

Pages:404

Language: G

Content: G

Level: Middle/High School

Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: If fate sent you an email, would you answer? When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds. Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

Review:  It is refreshing to read a book without worrying about sexual content and/or language.  This book was interesting enough to keep my attention through the complete 400 pages – something that I was worried wouldn’t happen when teens picked up the book.  However, I think that the storyline and characters will keep the readers attention long enough to get through it, and find that sometimes, things really are worth fighting for!

The Tragedy Paper

Title: The Tragedy Paper
Author: Elizabeth Laban
Pages: 320
Language: G
Content: PG13
Level: High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: It follows the story of Tim Macbeth, a seventeen-year-old albino and a recent transfer to the prestigious Irving School, where the motto is “Enter here to be and find a friend.” A friend is the last thing Tim expects or wants—he just hopes to get through his senior year unnoticed. Yet, despite his efforts to blend into the background, he finds himself falling for the quintessential “It” girl, Vanessa Sheller, girlfriend of Irving’s most popular boy. To Tim's surprise, Vanessa is into him, too, but she can kiss her social status goodbye if anyone ever finds out. Tim and Vanessa begin a clandestine romance, but looming over them is the Tragedy Paper, Irving’s version of a senior year thesis, assigned by the school’s least forgiving teacher.   Jumping between viewpoints of the love-struck Tim and Duncan, a current senior about to uncover the truth of Tim and Vanessa, The Tragedy Paper is a compelling tale of forbidden love and the lengths people will go to keep their secrets.

Review: The summary does not do this book justice.  A beguiling book, with a secret that doesn't come out until the very end, I had to keep reading!!  I found this book a  refreshing read, clear of langugage and sexual content!!!

The Unlikely Gift of Treasure Blume

Title: The Unlikely Gift of Treasure Blume
Author: Lisa Rumsey Harris
Pages: 304
Level: High School
Content: PG
Language: G
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: With her love of sweaters, goofy hair, and awkward manners—-not to mention her family curse—-Treasure Blume knows love is not in her future. That is, until she matches wits with Dennis Cameron, a divorced chef with a six-year-old daughter. Full of mischief, mayhem, and laugh-out-loud humor, this is an unlikely love story you'll want to read over and over again!

Review:  Witty humor, great characters, and a fun read! It conveys an important and timely message about looking past exteriors to find inner beauty.

Treasure is the most "unlikely" heroine you can imagine. She is awkward, old-fashioned, and completely clueless. But she is also compassionate, honest, and real. Grammy Blume, Treasure's ancestors, Bonnie (the villain), the Steppers geriatric dance team, and even the kids in Treasure's first grade class added their own flavor and color to the story.

Bunheads

Title: Bunheads
Author: Sophie Flack
Pages: 294
Language: PG13 (10 swears, 5 "f")
Content: PG13
Level: High School
Recommendation: Optional

Summary:  In a crowd of beautiful ballet dancers, how can one girl stand out?  As a dancer with the ultra-prestigious Manhattan Ballet company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward juggles intense rehearsals, dazzling performances, and complicated backstage relationships. But when she meets a spontaneous and irresistibly cute musician named Jacob, her universe begins to change.

Until now, Hannah has happily followed the company's unofficial mantra, "Don't think, just dance." But as Jacob opens her eyes to the world beyond the theater, Hannah must decide whether to compete against the other "bunheads" for a star soloist spot or to strike out on her own.

Review: Where 'Bunheads' really shines is in setting the scene for Hannah and her world. Flack brings a professional eye to the story, showing us a world filled both with grueling monotony and moments of wonder found on the stage. This book reminds readers of the stamina and strength that makes every ballet look effortless on stage. 'Bunheads' is a beautiful example of the bravery it takes to dedicate years to a specific plan only to choose a completely different path leading into uncharted territory. A good read for anyone trying to strike out on their own--even if they don't know exactly where they will be striking just yet.

Catching Jordan

Title: Catching Jordan
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Pages: 281
Content: PG13
Language: PG13/R (40+ swears, 10 "f")
Level: High School
Recommendation: Optional

Summary: What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though- she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Greeen moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line? "A beautiful novel with a real and captivating depiction of high school relationships, Catching Jordan shows the same reverence for the human heart that it does for the game of football."

Review: Loved the storyline, hated the language.  I realize that this book centers around sports, but it is full of locker room talk.  I was disappointed in the amount of swearwords, "f" words, but mostly how casual the topic of sex is handled.  I wish the story could be re-written for a more conservative audience, because the story and the issues in this book are great.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Title: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Pages: 272
Content: G
Language: PG
Level: Middle/High School
Recommendation: VERY Good Read

Summary: Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything? Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row. A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Review: I truly enjoyed everything about this book.  Good language, good content, good story!  It is crazy to see how much of one's life can be shared while on a 7 hour flight to London.  There are many underlying themes to this book that come through conversation!  It was a delight to find a book that's content was suitable for all students.  Thank you Jennifer Smith!

52 Reasons To Hate My Father

Title: 52 Reasons To Hate My Father
Author: Jessica Brody
Pages: 352
Content: PG13 (underage drinking)
Language: PG13 (10 swears)
Level: High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary:  Being America’s favorite heiress is a dirty job…but someone’s gotta do it.  Lexington Larrabee has never had to work a day in her life. After all, she’s the heiress to the multi-billion-dollar Larrabee Media empire. And heiresses are not supposed to work. But then again, they’re not supposed to crash brand-new Mercedes convertibles into convenience stores on Sunset Boulevard either.  Which is why, on Lexi’s eighteenth birthday, her ever-absent, tycoon father decides to take a more proactive approach to her wayward life. Every week for the next year, she will have to take on a different low-wage job if she ever wants to receive her beloved trust fund. But if there’s anything worse than working as a maid, a dishwasher, and a fast-food restaurant employee, it’s dealing with Luke, the arrogant, albeit moderately attractive, college intern her father has assigned to keep tabs on her.

Review: I fully expected this dislike this book.  Although I didn't love the main character, I did find myself enjoying the story and wanted to know if Lexi's life changes when she has to work 52 menial jobs assigned to her by her father.  There were a couple unexpected twists at the end, but I did enjoy the book.  Be aware...there is underage drinkin involved (although it is used to show the negative effects of drinking).

Edenbrooke

Title: Edenbrooke
Author: Julianne Donaldson
Pages: 255
Content: PG
Lanugage: G
Level: Upper Middle/High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: When Marianne receives a letter from her twin sister, she is languishing from boredom in Bath with her grandmother and spinster aunt. After convincing her grandmother to let her go to her sister's aid, Marianne's idea of a restful country summer helping her sister snag the handsome Lord of Edenbrooke is transformed into a thrilling adventure filled with intrigue, romance, and, yes, even a bit of twirling. With just a touch of Austen-esque charm, Julianne Donaldson creates an endearing Regency romance filled with misunderstandings, perilous rescues, and a love letter that will melt readers' hearts.

Review: Refreshing and delightful debut novel.  Great to have a book that grabs attention, gives character insight, has twists and turns, and little bit of romance to boot!!!

Because It Is My Blood

Title: Because It Is My Blood
(Sequal to All These Things I've Done)
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Pages: 350
Content: PG13
Language: PG13 (4 swears)
Level: High School
Recomendation: Good Read

Summary: Since her release from Liberty Children's Facility, Anya Balanchine is determined to follow the straight and narrow. Unfortunately, her criminal record is making it hard for her to do that. No high school wants her with a gun possession charge on her rap sheet. Plus, all the people in her life have moved on: Natty has skipped two grades at Holy Trinity, Scarlet and Gable seem closer than ever, and even Win is in a new relationship.But when old friends return demanding that certain debts be paid, Anya is thrown right back into the criminal world that she had been determined to escape. It’s a journey that will take her across the ocean and straight into the heart of the birthplace of chocolate where her resolve—and her heart—will be tested as never before.

Review:  I was so excited for this book to come out, and it didn't disappoint - in fact - I stayed up WAY too late to finish it the night I got it.  Full of twists and turns, I had to keep turning the pages.  Romance, violence, suspense, this book has it all. There are a few references to pre-marital sex, and **SPOILER ALERT** there is a teen that ends up pregnant.

37 Things I Love

Title: 37 Things I Love
Author: Kekla Magoon
Pages: 218
Content: PG13
Language: R (few light swears, 7 "f"s)
Level: High School
Recommendation: Not in this library

Summary: Ellis only has four days of her sophomore year left, and summer is so close that she can almost taste it. But even with vacation just within reach, Ellis isn’t exactly relaxed. Her father has been in a coma for years, the result of a construction accident, and her already-fragile relationship with her mother is strained over whether or not to remove him from life support. Her best friend fails even to notice that anything is wrong and Ellis feels like her world is falling apart. But when all seems bleak, Ellis finds comfort in the most unexpected places. Life goes on, but in those four fleeting days friends are lost and found, promises are made, and Ellis realizes that nothing will ever quite be the same.

Review: The summary of the book looked great, but I was disapponited once I got deeper into the book. A teen girl, dealing with a few rough circumstances, I really thought a lot of teens could relate to the main character. Until they book got into a drunken party abd a lesbian scene. I guess I should have clued in, based on the cover of the book, but my naive mind didn't go there. I was very disappointed when these scenes took place at the end of the book, because I was really interested to see how Ellis would deal with the situations in her life. This book would not be a good addition to the libraries in our conservative area.

Illiminated

Title: Illuminated
Author: Erica Orloff
Pages: 244
Content: PG/PG13 (barely)
Language: G
Level: High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: Some loves are not made to last . . . Like Romeo and Juliet, Heloise and Abelard were doomed from the start, and their romance was destined to pass into history. Yet when sixteen-year-old Callie Martin discovers a diary hidden within an antique book, their story - and hers - takes on another life. For the diary leads Callie to the brilliant and handsome August, who is just as mysterious as the secret the diary hides. Their attraction is undeniable. As the two hunt down the truth behind the diary - and that of Heloise and Abelard's ancient romance - their romance becomes all-consuming. But Callie knows it can't last . . . love never does. Will their love that burns as bright as a shooting star flame out, or will these star-crossed lovers be able to defy history?

Review:  As far as teen reads are concerned, this was a nice switch from the dystopian, doom and gloom genre!  Based around rare manuscripts, this "love story" is full of discovery - both for the mystery Callie is trying to unravel, as well as her self.  A quick, enjoyable, easy read for teens.

Blood Red Road

Title: Blood Red Road (Dust Lands Series)
Author: Moira Young
Pages: 459
Language: PG13:  48 minor, 25 major, 23 vains, no "f"s
Content: PG
Level: High Middle/High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary:  Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.  Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

Review: This book was supposed to raise the bar for dystopian novels.  Although I love the main character, and the book was full of action and character relationships, it fell short for me. The storyline is good, but some of the elements of the story just didn't fit for me and I could also do without the language.

Hummingbird Heart

Title: Hummingbird Heart
Author: Robin Stevenson
Pages: 272
Content: PG13
Language: PG
Level: High School
Recommendation: Optional

Summary:  Sixteen-year-old Dylan has never met her father. She knows that her parents were just teenagers themselves when she was born, but her mother doesn't like to talk about the past, and her father, Mark, has never responded to Dylan's attempts to contact him. As far as Dylan is concerned, her family is made up of her mother, Amanda; her recently adopted younger sister, Karma; and maybe even her best friend, Toni.

And then, out of the blue, a phone call: Mark will be in town for a few days and he wants to meet her. Amanda is clearly upset, but Dylan can't help being excited at the possibility of finally getting to know her father. But when she finds out why he has come—and what he wants from her—the answers fill her with still more questions. What makes someone family? And why has her mother been lying to her all these years?

Review: Although the book is fast paced and interesting, the adult role models in this book are lacking—smoking pot, getting drunk, and lying on a regular basis. Dylan's personal life is a shambles, and she makes some pretty bad decisions with her friends, family, and first boyfriend.  With many prevalent teen topics, this is a perfect book for discussion with teens.