Irises by Franciso X. Stork

288 pgs/2012

Two sisters lives are left in turmoil after the death of their father. Their mother has been in a vegetative state for many years and now the girls are left alone. Mary wants to leave Texas and study at Stanford, Kate wants to stay with mother, but the grief of never losing mother is preventing Kate from enjoying painting like she used to. The girls father was always strict and now that they are free from his rules, the girls have to figure out how to help each other and live their lives. This is a quiet book-not a lot of action.

"Triangles" by Ellen Hopkins

529 pages

"Triangles," Hopkins' first adult novel, alternates between the perspectives of three friends who are all facing a different kind of midlife crisis. Holly is filled with regret about her life as a stay-at-home mom with a workaholic husband. After losing sixty pounds, she distracts herself from her problems by flaunting her new body and eventually indulging in extramarital sex. Meanwhile, her friend Marissa is dealing with a severely handicapped, terminally ill daughter and a rebellious gay teenage son. Marissa's sister, Andrea, is a single mom who has vowed celibacy after yet another failed relationship...that is, until she learns of Holly's affair and turns into a shoulder to cry on--and then more--to Holly's spurned husband, whom Andrea has had a crush on for quite a while.

I've been disappointed with some of Ellen Hopkins' books but really liked others, so I wasn't sure what to expect with this adult one. If I had to sum up my feelings about it with one word it would be: eh. I just didn't really like any of the characters, and it's really difficult for me to like a book if I don't care about any of the people in the story. The only characters that made me feel anything at all were Marissa and Shelby, her handicapped daughter, but they didn't make up for the indifference I felt toward the other characters. Since it's written in the verse that has made Ellen Hopkins so popular, it moves really quickly, but I found the style distracting (as I have with some of her other books). I thought most of it was a bit predictable as well. Definitely not Hopkins' best effort, in my opinion.

Hound Dog True by Linda Urban

176 pgs/2011

About the Book: Mattie and her mom have moved too many times for Mattie's liking. Mattie hoping that this time moving in with Uncle Potluck will last-no more being the new girl. Mattie has a week until school starts which means one week to convince Uncle Potluck to take her on as a custodial apprentice. If Mattie writes everything down in her notebook and can convince Uncle Potluck he needs her, she can work with him at recess-away from the other fifth-graders. But what will happen when Mattie's custodial wisdom doesn't work the way she plans?

Sarah Teenlibrarian Says: I've been a big fan of Linda Urban's since reading her debut, A Crooked Kind of Perfect. It's one of my go-to tween novels, so I was thrilled when I saw she had a new book out! Once again, Linda Urban shows that she is a master of middle grade.

Mattie is painfully shy. So much so that she gets nervous thinking about talking to other kids and introducing herself and doesn't want to spend recess with her peers. Because of her shyness, Mattie is hesitant to make a new friend in Quincy. She fears that Quincy is older and will find her babyish and she imagines that Quincy is avoiding her because she doesn't like her. It's hard for her to make friends, but part of the novel is about opening yourself up and learning to break through being shy. That's not to say that Mattie becomes miss outgoing by the end-her journey is a quiet journey, much like Mattie herself. A small step in friendship is a huge step for Mattie and you can't help but cheer her on.

Mattie is also a writer and she struggles with writing after a girl from her previous school makes fun of her stories. She worries about her writing and worries what others will think. She really wants to write but she's afraid to after getting teased. Mattie is a sensitive girl and she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders.

I was very much like Mattie when I was younger. I was very sensitive and shy. There were times I even had to psych myself up to talk to someone. I could very much relate to Mattie and Ms. Urban got it spot on! This was a book that I wish I could hand over to my tween-self and say "it's OK, I know it's hard but you can do it." Tweens who feel the same way will relate and understand Mattie's shyness. Readers who might not be shy will still understand why Mattie is the way she is-Ms. Urban gives us enough depth to Mattie to really understand her and get to know her.

The supporting cast is great. Uncle Potluck is hilarious and he tells some wild stories you can't help but wish might be true. Quincy has her own secrets and makes a great counterpart to Mattie.

There's not a lot of action in this book. Instead it's a quiet, character-driven story. Much of the story is left to the reader to infer (some of Mattie's story, Quincy's backstory, and details about Uncle Potluck and the Principal) but I don't think there's anything that readers wouldn't catch onto. A sweet story about friendship, family, and shyness, Hound Dog True is a book I'm adding to my "must have" tween collection.

"Shadow Tag" by Louise Erdrich

256 pages

When Irene discovers that her paranoid husband, Gil, has been secretly reading her diary, she doesn't comfront him--instead, she begins a new diary (the Blue Notebook) while continuing to write in the old one, leaving it for him to find. The Blue Notebook contains the truth about her feelings and her marriage: she feels desperately lonely and wants to leave Gil, taking their three children. She has tried to talk to Gil about it but he refuses to acknowledge their issues, so Irene uses the Red Notebook (the old diary) to try to provoke him into letting her go.

I really didn't like this book at all. The writing is beautiful and fits the tone of the book perfectly, but the whole thing is just way too depressing for me. I didn't like either of the main characters at all: Irene is vindictive, Gil is abusive, and they are both completely selfish. They're too busy playing games with each other to pay attention to their children, and neither of them seems to even consider looking at things from the other's point of view. It's really hard for me to like a book when I can't identify with any of the main characters. I did like Irene and Gil's daughter, Riel, who narrates a small part of the book, but that just made me more upset about what her parents were doing. I do like that the story ends slightly differently than I thought it would--I always like a twist at the conclusion--but it's so incredibly sad and there isn't much hope in sight. It left me with an awful feeling, and I didn't get anything out of it to make up for that.

"Exposed" by Kimberly Marcus

255 pages

This novel-in-verse features sixteen-year-old Liz, aka Photogirl, who was born to view life from behind a lens and turn what she sees into a beautiful image. She's not the most popular girl in school, but she's not a dork either. She gets along well with her parents and older brother, Mike, and she has a marvelous best friend named Kate. Liz and Kate are so close that she can't imagine anything coming between them. But all of that changes in one fateful night. Suddenly, Kate is avoiding Liz and people are whispering behind her back. When she finally confronts Kate, her friend makes an accusation that will change their lives forever.

This story is one that will stick with me. It confronts a very serious issue--rape--from a perspective that we don't often see: that of a bystander who is drastically affected by the alleged incident and almost becomes a victim herself. It's heartbreaking to watch Liz struggle to decide whom to believe. I like that the story shows that rape can happen to anyone and that it affects more than just the one who is actually raped (which applies to any crime, abuse, or tragedy). However, I thought the verse was a little distracting. Maybe I'm just not sophisticated enough to appreciate it, but it seemed like the lines were composed arbitrarily and that prose would have been a better fit. That said, I still enjoyed this book immensely, and I will be recommending it to patrons and friends who like real-life gritty stuff like Ellen Hopkins, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Patricia McCormick.

Recovery Road by Blake Nelson

2011/320pgs



This was a sit and read in one sitting book! It was fast paced and emotional and I couldn't put it down. I was so caught up in Maddie's story and I didn't want to let go. I wanted to make sure she was OK because I cared for her. This is a gritty, realistic novel about teens in rehab and the recovery after. Highly recommended to readers who enjoy contemporary, issue-driven novels.

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

2011/348 pgs

About the Book: Chloe's older sister Ruby is the beautiful girl who everyone in town wants to be. Ruby always gets whatever she wants. When Chloe finds the body of a classmate, London, floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from Ruby. But Ruby always gets what she wants-and soon Chloe is able to return and London is alive. No one but Chloe seems to know the truth and Ruby seems to have a strange hold over London and everyone else in town.

Sarah Teenlibrarian Says: Imaginary Girls is a haunting, creepy and delicious book. It explores the bonds of sisterly love but adds a bit of horror to the story. It's contemporary but not exactly contemporary-it's hard to say exactly what genre it would fall under. It's easy to fall under Ruby's spell and I think this one has a good shot at making an award list come January. Right now it's in my top three picks for Printz! Highly recommended for book clubs-great discussion book!

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

2010/352pgs

About the Book: Piper has just taken on a challenge-get the band Dumb a paying gig in the next month and she can be their manager. Piper doesn't know much about rock music let alone how get the five members of Dumb to actually play together as a band, especially when Piper herself is deaf.

Sarah Teenlibrarian Says: I loved this book! I've had this one on my desk forever and I should have read it when I first got it. Why did I keep putting it off??

Piper is a fun character you can't help but root for. Her growth from shy girl who hides into a strong, kick-butt girl who can take on a band and the rock music world is so much fun to read. It's a journey you want to go on with Piper and cheer her on the entire way.

The cast of characters is eccentric and varied. There are lots of layers to the story in addition to Piper. There's Piper's relationship with her parents-Piper struggles to get along with her father who recently lost his job and never learned to sign, so Piper feels rejected and not good enough. She has a baby sister who is also deaf, but her parents have raided her college fund to pay her implants for her sister so she can have a chance at hearing, leaving Piper feeling left out. Piper and the band are also embarking on a journey to learn about rock music and the importance of music.

There's a bit of romance mixed in with some humor which makes this book have nice mix. While some of bands exploits and experiences are a bit unrealistic, it's fun to dream!

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

2010/332pgs

About the Book: When Alex wakes up in the bed of a stranger and no memory of the night before, she knows something is wrong. As the night comes back to her, she realizes she was date raped. Her elite private school who believes the students are perfect won't help, so Alex goes to the secret group the Mockingbirds for justice.

Sarah Teenlibrarian Says: This book is a contemporary book about an important topic. The book approaches the topic of date rape delicately and I think readers will connect with Alex. I liked the use of classical music to help tell Alex's story-I thought it added an interesting layer and I'm a music nerd, so I liked that Alex was musical herself. I did think the Mockingbirds are a bit too perfect and I think the way they get what they want was a bit too easy and perfect. I just didn't really get why they would be so respected, especially since they couldn't really enforce the punishments since they were student run and the administration didn't know about them. I also liked that while Alex went to the Mockingbirds and was afraid of telling the school, at least she found a good mentor and adult figure in her piano teacher. I hate when the adults are always the bad guys, so it was nice to have an understanding adult.

Six Rules of Maybe by Deb Caletti

2010/336pgs

I think the biggest reason I wasn't a fan of this book was that I listened to it on audio. The narrator was pretty terrible. She had the worst range of voices I've ever heard from an audiobook narrator-her male voices sounded all the same and like a girl trying to sound like a boy just by talking lower, which made all the male characters sound dumb. She ran out of various female voices, so the main characters friends all sounded airy and flighty and valley girl-ish which I didn't think fit them at all. The only reason I kept listening was because I had to have this one read for Gateway committee.

The story itself was good, although I really hated the Scarlett liking her brother-in-law plotline. I never really understand why she was attracted to Hayden. It was more like he showed up and she was enamored-no real reason to be. The stories with the neighbors added a nice mix to the story, but the book was mostly ruined for me with the Hayden/Scarlett storyline-I could have done without it since I thought it was boring and not well done. I wish the focus had just been on Scarlett and the rules of maybe.

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly

2010/278pgs

About the Book: Drea loves music and spends her time mixing. She's moved from place to place with her mom who can't seem to hold any job or boyfriend for long so Drea doesn't have many friends. Add in her diagnosis of ADHD and "a touch of Asperger's" and Drea's been told she has some issues.

Now she and her mother have moved in with her grandmother. Drea meets neighbor Naomi and new boy Justin, and both seem to actually like Drea and want to spend time with her, issues and all.

Sarah Teenlibrarian Says: I really, really liked this book. I was surprised by how engaged I was in this story and how much I enjoyed it. Drea was a wonderfully engaging, interesting character. I never felt that Drea was a caricature of a character with her diagnosis, but instead felt very real.

Naomi is the most "out there" character of them all, but she's a troubled girl and I understood why she was the way she was. I never felt the author got preachy with Naomi's issues and story and the story never got messagy where it could have at the end.

Ultimatly, this is a story about a girl finding her way and understanding and finding herself. I was pleasantly surprised by it and I recommend it to readers of contemporary YA.

Efrain's Secret by Sofia Quintaro

2010/240 pgs

About the Book: Efrain is an ambitious, smart, high schooler who wants to be accepted into Harvard. He knows there's no way he could afford an Ivy League school, but he knows he has the grades if he could find the money. When he's offered a chance to join his friend selling drugs, Efrain decides to lead a double life-good student by day, drug dealer by night. He needs the money and it's just until graduates and he can keep it secret until then-he just needs to not get caught.

Sarah Teenlibrarian Says: Efrain is a character I could connect with from the start. He's smart, ambitious, he's funny, and he's a good kid who has been dealt a bad hand. I cared about him and his story. He doesn't make the best decisions and it's painful to read because you know his story can't end well. Usually I find endings that have an "if only" twist to them annoying and frustrating, but I felt this one worked and was needed to really hit home.

Mindblind by Jennifer Roy

2010/256pgs

It seems like there are more novels in YA coming out with narrators or characters on the autisim spectrum. Nathanial has Asperger's Syndrome and he's very smart (but not yet a genuis, although he will be, he says). Nathanial is an interesting character and while I liked the book as a whole, it was a bit too wonderfully perfect. There wasn't much tension-there's a bit with Nathanial's father, but not enough to carry the story. Nathanial socializes well, he has friends who understand and accept him, and his mom is a wonderful, understanding mother. He's graduating college, onto a master's program (even though he's only 14), and he's in a band. The whole thing was just a bit too perfect life, everyone's understanding and accepting, life is beautiful sort of story. There were moments where I liked a peek into Nathanial's mind, and the story was OK, but it did feel a bit too after school special-like.

Rikers High by Paul Volponi

2010/246pgs

I've read Paul Volponi's books in the past and liked them, but I think Rikers High is my least favorite offering. I never really liked or cared about the main character, I found the supporting characters a bit hard to keep track of because none of them really had anything stand out about them, and the story as a whole just fell a bit flat. I thought the teachers would have more of a standout role and they never really seemed to be that inspiring. I wasn't aths impressed with this book as I had wanted or thought I would be.

In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth

2010/217pgs

In A Heartbeat has two points of view-Eagan, an ice skater who had one tiny mistake that ended in her death, and Amelia-the recipient of Eagan's heart. Amelia begins to feel like she's taking on parts of her donor's personality and interests and wants to know more about her donor.

I liked this book, a lot more than I thought I would, but I still could have done without the two points of view. I can see where Eagan's story was needed so we knew more about her and her influence on Amelia, but I didn't really care about her wanderings in her half-heaven that she was stuck in. Each chapter startedr the same, so it was a bit boring. Having her story added a sadness to the story as well, so I'd give this to fans of Lurlene McDaniel. I did like Amelia's storyline and I found her character interesting. I also liked that the subject matter was unique and different.

Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski

2010/320pgs

What would you do if you could talk to your younger self? What would you want to change? For Devi, the chance comes true when she magically gets the chance to call her freshman self on her cell phone. Now a senior, Devi wants to warn her younger self away from Brian, away from heartbreak, and away from loosing all her friends.

The two storylines between freshman Devi and senior Devi play off each other well. Each version of Devi has a uniqaue voice and each time the younger Devi follows the advice of the older, the older's present changes-and not always for the better like she thought. Working together, they figure out the best path for both of them. A fun, unique novel with a chick-lit feel.

Sellout by Ebony Joy Wilkins

2010/272 pgs

Sellout was a YA novel that I wasn't sure what I thought of. I thought it was a bit preachy and predictable. But I also liked part of it as well.

I didn't really understand why Natasha's grandmother, Tilly, felt she was so far removed from her "roots" and needed to spend the summer with her. Natasha had spent previous summers with Tilly in Harlem and the only event leading up to Natasha being sent this summer is that she looses a ribbon during a ballet recital. Apparently it was very offensive to her grandmother that she was taking ballet. I would have liked more reasoning behind why Natasha was so far removed or at least a better explanation as to why it was important.

I also thought Tilly was a bit maniuplative. She claimed she wanted Natasha's help at the girl's home she volunteered at, but instead I felt like she used that as an excuse to get Natasha to be part of the house and the therapy the girls attended. It felt sneaky and made me not like Tilly.

The book got better towards the end, but did have a cheesy over the top feel good message. But some readers may need a cheesy over the top message and the story as a whole was good.

For Keeps by Natasha Friend

2010/267pgs

About the Book: Josie never knew her father (her mother got pregnant in high school and her father went away to college). Now his parents are back in town which means the father she never knew may be around soon.

Sarah Teenlibrarian Says: It's been a few weeks since I read For Keeps and I had to go back and look at it to remember what it was about. Obviously it didn't stand out among my reading this month!


I think fans of Gilmore Girls would love this one-it had a similar feel. The story was good and I liked the eccentric cast of characters. While the story might not have been the most memorable, the writing was good. This is a feel good contemporary YA.

Hothouse by Chris Lynch

2010/208pgs

I had high hopes for this book to be good after hearing great things about Chris Lynch. Unfortunately, this was not a book for me. It took too long for the story to get going and I thought the main idea of the novel wasn't strong enough. The plot is about two boys whose fathers are killed in a fire, but it turns out they may not have been as perfect as people had thought. I thought it took too long to really get the story going and I never really cared about any of the characters.

You Wish by Mandy Hubbard

2010/272pgs

About the Book: When Kayla's sweet sixteen turns into the party she never wanted and instead a client preview for her mom's party planning buisness, Kayla makes the wish "I wish all my birthday wishes came true because they never freakin' do." The next thing Kayla knows, she has a lifetime supply of gumballs, a life size plastic looking guy is showing up at her door claiming he's her boyfriend, and a real life My Little Pony is in her backyard. She has to figure out a way to stop this before her last year wish comes true-that she would kiss her best friend's boyfriend.

Sarah Teenlibrarian Says: This one was cute, but a bit too long for my tastes. I thought the story could have wrapped up sooner and it dragged a bit. I also thought the wishes could have been more creative. Most of Kayla's wishes have to do with things coming to life, which got a bit old. There is lots of humor and I think teens who like lightharted, funny novels with a touch of romance will enjoy this one.