Alexis is very antisocial, anti-cheerleader, and absolutely loves photography. Her parent’s marriage isn’t doing the best and her 13 year old sister, Kasey, has gone totally doll crazy. After a family argument, Kasey and Alexis have some one-on-one sisterly bonding. During this time, Alexis realizes that her life is going from dysfunctional to dangerous. Kasey is changing. Her normal green eyes are suddenly bright blue. Her vocabulary takes a weird twist when she begins using more old-fashioned words. And, she loses track of large periods of time, claiming to know nothing about the sudden change in behavior. Alexis’s house is changing too. Doors open and close by themselves, water boils on an unlit stove, and an unplugged air conditioner makes the house cold enough for the girls to see their own breath. Alexis wants to believe that all this is just her mind playing tricks on her but… when things begin to be life threatening to her, her family, and her new relationship with the vice president of her class… she realizes she’s the only person that can stop it.
I loved this book. It was pretty confusing from making you think one thing for so long and then suddenly changing everything you thought you knew. “Bad Girls Don’t Die” not only had a strong mystery/action theme but also a twist of comedy and romance. It was constantly thrilling and I highly recommend it.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Vibes by Amy Kathleen Ryan
Kristi is basically just an average sophomore… except for the fact that she can read minds. Dealing with this power results in her hearing everyone’s thoughts whether they’re positive or negative. Most aren’t exactly pleasant. Two years ago, her dad left and went to Africa to fight disease. Since then, Kristi and her mom have grown farther apart, her best friend Hildie has stopped talking to her, she’s hid a cat in her bedroom, and she’s gotten some very… unique… fashion tastes. When her dad decides to come back… maybe for good or just temporarily, she learns secrets that she had no clue about. It also doesn’t help that she’s been paired with Hildie’s gorgeous older brother (that she’s had a crush on for years) to do a character project, the new guy Mallory is constantly thinking romantic thoughts about her, and Jason… who’s been the closest thing to a friend since Mallory… is picturing her “ginormous gazungas” in ways that totally disturb her.
This book, while it had very cliché characters, was full of twists and turns in an extraordinary story line. If I were given a super power, I normally would have wanted to be psychic. After reading this though, I saw all the downfalls of this ability and would hate to have to deal with it. An extremely big part of this novel is, things aren’t always as they appear... or sound. There were some things that had terrible conclusions to it, but they were probably more realistic. Overall, Vibes was a pretty good read.
This book, while it had very cliché characters, was full of twists and turns in an extraordinary story line. If I were given a super power, I normally would have wanted to be psychic. After reading this though, I saw all the downfalls of this ability and would hate to have to deal with it. An extremely big part of this novel is, things aren’t always as they appear... or sound. There were some things that had terrible conclusions to it, but they were probably more realistic. Overall, Vibes was a pretty good read.
Everything is Fine by Ann Dee Ellis
Mazzy is stuck at home all summer taking care of her highly depressed mother. Her father, who works for ESPN, is off at a business trip that was only supposed to last about a week… as of now, he’s basically abandoned them. Mazzy has no one to turn to except her neighbors and her mother’s old art studio.
This book was really different. The way it’s written, made things jump around a lot and majority of it didn’t make sense. It wasn’t till the end of the book that everything started to click together and explain why things were the way they were. Everything Is Fine did have very serious topics like depression, diabetes, and death but it also put humor into Mazzy and the way she thought as she was going through this. The book overall was okay.
This book was really different. The way it’s written, made things jump around a lot and majority of it didn’t make sense. It wasn’t till the end of the book that everything started to click together and explain why things were the way they were. Everything Is Fine did have very serious topics like depression, diabetes, and death but it also put humor into Mazzy and the way she thought as she was going through this. The book overall was okay.
Black Box by Julie Schumacher
Elena and Dora are sisters, best friends, and complete opposites. Dora is loud, fun, and unpredictable while Elena is more quiet and calm. After Dora is diagnosed with depression and has to stay in the hospital, Elena isn’t sure who her sister, or herself, is anymore. Elena doesn’t really have any friends since she went to a private school until high school so the only people that really acknowledge her are friends of Dora and Jimmy Zenk. Jimmy supposedly has failed at least one grade and wears black every single day. He has his own secrets and advice for Elena. Dora and Elena’s parents have started to fight in the kitchen every night after the think Elena is in bed. Once Dora is discharged, Elena has even more responsibility and has to figure out what secrets she needs to keep and which she needs to tell.
Black Box was addicting. It was full of surprises I wasn’t expecting and was impossible to put down. Not only did it deal with depression, but it also had a lot of moments about trust. How far should you keep secrets and that not everything is it seems. It also shows that sometimes knowing the truth is better but sometimes it’s worse. Elena’s thoughts about everything added humor and drama to the novel. Overall, it was an amazing book.
Black Box was addicting. It was full of surprises I wasn’t expecting and was impossible to put down. Not only did it deal with depression, but it also had a lot of moments about trust. How far should you keep secrets and that not everything is it seems. It also shows that sometimes knowing the truth is better but sometimes it’s worse. Elena’s thoughts about everything added humor and drama to the novel. Overall, it was an amazing book.
Something to Blog About by Shanna Norris
Libby Fawcett. Classic teenager. School, boys, and those mean popular girls that you wish would just go *POOF!*. Now here’s the dramatic twist… she set her hair on fire in front of the whole class, including her crush Seth Jacobs who she’s tutoring in chemistry (the subject she is also failing) and now she finds out her mom is dating the father of her archenemy, Angel Rodriguez. To vent her feelings and anger, Libby starts a secret blog. And let’s just say… it doesn’t stay a secret for long.
I seriously couldn’t put this book down. While things did get predictable at times, it was still very funny. Things kinda were resolved quicker and less complicated than they would have been in real life, making things seem a little too perfect. ‘Something to Blog About’ could have been longer and definitely should have a sequel. This would make a great beach book. Over all, it was fabulous and I can’t wait to see what Shana Norris writes next.
I seriously couldn’t put this book down. While things did get predictable at times, it was still very funny. Things kinda were resolved quicker and less complicated than they would have been in real life, making things seem a little too perfect. ‘Something to Blog About’ could have been longer and definitely should have a sequel. This would make a great beach book. Over all, it was fabulous and I can’t wait to see what Shana Norris writes next.
Girl v. Boy by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout
Luisa Perez isn’t really into school spirit. Actually, Luisa and her friends, Rachel and Izzy, take pride in avoiding activities that are labeled “extracurricular”. But, when her school is competing for an extra month of winter vacation and the boys of Dunfield, or as the students call it, ‘Dumpfield’, start competing against the girls, it turns the fundraiser into a ’battle of the sexes’ and Luisa and her friends start to change their minds. When asked to write an anonymous column for her school paper about the girls half, she just has to say yes. One week she’ll write and the next week’s the article will be written by an anonymous reporter for the boys. As time goes on, “Newshound” (Luisa) and “Scoop” (Mystery Man) begin to debate the actions of boys and girls as well as discuss the fundraiser. Who could this new enemy be? Luisa is determined to find out… and the results will shock her.
‘Girl V. Boy’ was an interesting novel. I can say, “Scoop” did start to get on my nerves, while “Newshound” was full of useful advice. I realize I like the girls point of view because well, I’m a girl and that’s sorta was what I was thinking but it was interesting to see a guys take on things. Umm… the only other advice I can give you about this book is don’t read the back because it totally reveals the surprise ending.
‘Girl V. Boy’ was an interesting novel. I can say, “Scoop” did start to get on my nerves, while “Newshound” was full of useful advice. I realize I like the girls point of view because well, I’m a girl and that’s sorta was what I was thinking but it was interesting to see a guys take on things. Umm… the only other advice I can give you about this book is don’t read the back because it totally reveals the surprise ending.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
The Five People You Meet in Heaven tells the story of Eddie moments before his death. As an 83 year old maintenance man at the amusement park Ruby Piers, he has no clue what is going to happen. After his death, Eddie finds himself in “heaven”. There he meets 5 important people who review his life and show him how his actions affected those around him as well as himself. Through flashbacks and memories from multiple points of views, Eddie is brought to life for readers even in death. As Eddie begins to understand the meaning of his own life, closure is brought to everyone around him including himself in a novel full of anger, grief, love, forgiveness, curiosity, and bravery.
When I saw The Five People You Meet in Heaven on my school’s summer reading list, I can’t say I was very thrilled. Having very different personal opinions on what happens after death, I expected this book to be rather typically religious when things like “heaven” are mentioned. I couldn’t have been more wrong. While the story does explore “heaven”, it didn’t have anything to do with God, a peaceful wonderland, angels, or anything else most people associate. Instead, “heaven” was about finding yourself to the deepest degree possible. It was displayed as a place to learn about your life from an outside perspective, find closure, and understand why everything happened to you the way it did. As the main character, Eddie, met the 5 people who explained huge parts of his life to him, I felt so connected to this old man. From recalling his memories and the scenarios he faced from three different views, it seemed as if I was really there, knew him, and experienced the same things he did. Mitch Albom gives such a extraordinary depiction of Eddie and I was truly moved and shocked when I found out that it was inspired by his actual uncle. When I reached the last page and saw the picture of the real Eddie, I was left in tears as the man I was looking at was very similar to the images I had imagined while reading The Five People You Meet in Heaven. I think everyone, no matter what your beliefs are, should take a point of their lives to read this novel. It has completely changed my view of life and I feel it makes every moment you live much more precious and meaningful. Through this experience the expression “everything happens for a reason” is thoroughly proved.
When I saw The Five People You Meet in Heaven on my school’s summer reading list, I can’t say I was very thrilled. Having very different personal opinions on what happens after death, I expected this book to be rather typically religious when things like “heaven” are mentioned. I couldn’t have been more wrong. While the story does explore “heaven”, it didn’t have anything to do with God, a peaceful wonderland, angels, or anything else most people associate. Instead, “heaven” was about finding yourself to the deepest degree possible. It was displayed as a place to learn about your life from an outside perspective, find closure, and understand why everything happened to you the way it did. As the main character, Eddie, met the 5 people who explained huge parts of his life to him, I felt so connected to this old man. From recalling his memories and the scenarios he faced from three different views, it seemed as if I was really there, knew him, and experienced the same things he did. Mitch Albom gives such a extraordinary depiction of Eddie and I was truly moved and shocked when I found out that it was inspired by his actual uncle. When I reached the last page and saw the picture of the real Eddie, I was left in tears as the man I was looking at was very similar to the images I had imagined while reading The Five People You Meet in Heaven. I think everyone, no matter what your beliefs are, should take a point of their lives to read this novel. It has completely changed my view of life and I feel it makes every moment you live much more precious and meaningful. Through this experience the expression “everything happens for a reason” is thoroughly proved.
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