Smart Girls Get What They Want

Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer follows Gigi a super smart girl who decides to make a change in her life after discovering how much of a nobody her friends older sister was in high school.  Gigi and her friends slowly loosen up and become part of the high school community while maintaining their strict academics and experience some love on the side.

This was a fantastic book.  Gigi is smart and a strong and unapologetic.  While she does change during the break she never at any point allows herself to compromise her ideals or what is important to her.  The romance was sweet and had me smiling until the end with a love triangle that really worked.  I finished this book quicky and couldn't put it down.

Appropriateness:  This book is able to maintain an older teen feel while still remaining completely innocent and appropriate for younger readers.  There is no adult content.   Gigi is the girl that all of us wish our daughters would be, smart and demanding and unwilling to give up anything for a boy.  The romance is sweet and limited to a few kisses.   I'd recommend this book to readers 13+ who are fans of romance and chic lit.

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Rebel McKenzie

Rebel McKenzie by Candice Ransom follows twelve year old Rebel who is sent off to live with her poor sister to spend the summer babysitting her nephew after running away because she was upset about not being able to go to paleontology camp.  Rebel finds out that things are very difficult for her sister who is attending beauty school after a divorce.  The trailer is small and there isn't a lot of food.  She makes friends with the neighbors, decides to enter a pageant and end up making a difference in a lot of lives.

This is a great book that kids will love.  It's so nice to read a book with a character that is not excessively rich (that isn't specifically about poverty).  While some of the money situations are a bit difficult to read about it's not the focus of the book and it's not written to be tragic, just the setting for everything.  There's a great set of original characters including the two neighbor girls, one who is a snotty reigning pageant queen and the other who is a mess after the loss of her mother.  My only complaint about the book was that the ending wrapped up a little perfectly with some obnoxious behavior being rewarded. 

Appropriateness:  This is an easy and quick read that will be enjoyed by it's intended audience of 9-12 year old girls (although it's a little flighty for readers older than that).  The book will provide parents with a good opportunity to talk about poverty with their kids and how we take things for granted that others have to struggle to obtain.  There is no adult content, romance or violence.

A Girl Named Digit

A Girl Named Digit by Annabel Monaghan follows Farrah a math wiz who finds herself tangled up with the FBI after cracking a code that detected a terrorist attack.  Farrah has never been normal.  She's not just a math wiz but has a compulsion to order everything in her life.  After having a hard time with bullies in middle school she decides to hide who she is in High School.  She lives an unhappy life, lying to everyone and herself about who she is until the unthinkable happens.  After cracking a code of numbers that appear on television a plane is bombed at the local airport and she realizes that she could have prevented it.  She goes to the FBI and finds herself running from the terrorists while trying to crack the code to prevent another bombing and dealing with her attraction to her young FBI handler.

I loved this book.  It was cute and funny and I loved Farrah learning to come to terms with the intelligence that she had always hidden before.  It reminded me a lot of Meg Cabot's Vanished series (which is also awesome, go read those if you haven't already) in tone.  A cool and interesting mystery and a special ability combined with a sexy older (but not too much older) love interest.  I tore through this book and hope that there are more Digit books in the future.

Appropriateness:  At the beginning of the book we are introduced to the life that Farrah isn't happy with which includes going to parties and drinking (but she does not get drunk) and making out with guys (which she describes as unappealing).  The FBI agent/love interest is older than her (she is seventeen and he is 21) and the age (minor/adult) difference between the two is mentioned frequently as a major obstacle.  There is no sex and the physical nature of their relationship is limited to kissing although the two do spend the night in the same room (and on the same couch) while they are on the run.  I would recommend this book for teens 13+ and encourage parents to use it as a starting point to discuss being yourself and also to discuss statutory rape and the reason that teen/adult relationships are not appropriate and illegal and why exactly it was so important for John that they wait on their relationship until Farrah turned eighteen.

Review copy provided by Amazon Vine

Happy Families

Happy Families by Tanita Davis follows twins Ysabel and Nicholas as they spend spring break with their father who have recently learned of their father's secret, that he is transgender.  The book is told in alternating voices as the twins spend time with their father, the first in months and try come to terms with their father's new life and try to heal their family.

This was a very good social issues book.  Introducing teens to an issue that they are not familiar with in a way that is interesting and relateable.  While I was not rushing to finish the book I had no problem finishing it and I found myself caring about the characters and hoping for a happy ending.  The author doesn't provide a happy ending but does provide a hopeful one.  This is a book that needs to be on library shelves.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in the book.  The author does a good job talking about transgender persons and the differences even providing a glossary in the back of different terms and resources for more information.  I would recommend this book to teens 12+

Review copy provided by Netgalley

Take a Bow

Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg follows a group of students in their Senior year at a competitive performing arts school in New York City.  The story revolves around Emme a shy composer who slowly comes into her own and learns to stand up for herself.  The story is told through the eyes of Emme and several of her classmates: Sophie, her best friend whom she'll have to come to realize is using her.  Carter, Sophie's boyfriend and child star who is not sure if he wants to be an actor and Ethan who has always cared about Emme.

This was a fantastic contemporary novel about older teens.  I loved Emme's growth throughout the book as she learns to stand up for herself, believe in herself and become the performer that she never knew she could be.  The performing arts school felt like a real place and the author did a good job creating a school that seemed real and had the students doing high school level work.  I sped through this book finishing it quickly.

Appropriateness:  This is a book about teenagers that act like teenagers.  There's alcohol abuse (which is in every case depicted as stupid and destructive) and some discussions of sex.  I would recommend the book to readers 13+

The Humming Room

The Humming Room by Ellen Potter is a modern retelling of The Secret Garden.  The tale begins when Roo's parents are killed.  After a short stay in foster care she is taken in by her uncle who lives in an old children's hospital that is located on an island.  Roo slowly explores the island and the home she is living in both of which are filled with secrets to be uncovered.

I loved this book.  It is a fantastic retelling for fans of the story (and for fans of the movie who aren't strong enough readers to tackle the original).  I loved all the characters and found myself really rooting for Roo.  The house is a character in itself with twists and turns that come to life.  The book is fantastic, it kept me interested and I sped through it excited to find out what would happen next. 

Appropriateness:  This is a great middle grade book that kids will love.  Roo comes from an abusive home where both of her parents are addicts.  I would recommend this book to readers 9-14.

Wanderlove

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard follows Bria an eighteen year old artist who flies to Central America  after a messy breakup.  She is not happy when she finds out her tour is not filled with young people like the brochure promised but older tourists and an over protective tour guide.  While at a street market Bria meets Rowan who invites her to dinner at his hostel.  She then ditches her tour group to travel with Rowan and his sister and the experience changes her life.

I'll admit that I have a real fascination with backpackers and have followed many backpackers through their blog (although would never do it myself because I'm too fond of clean sheets).  This book really captured the spirit of backpacking and traveling and made me feel like I was along for the ride.  Bria's transformation from a wounded girl to a confident traveler who embraces her art and is ready to start her life.  Rowan is flawed but ultra hunky and the two work well together.  Although the book starts out slowly

Appropriateness:  There's quite a bit of adult content in this novel.  Bria is a new high school graduate and acts her age.  Bria ditches her travel group and goes off with a complete stranger, she drinks and is around others that are doing drugs (but does not herself) and there is talk of drug smuggling.  There are some very heavy make out scenes but no sex.  The ultimate message of the book is one of transformation.  I would recommend this book to teens (and the adult crossover audience) 14+

Review copy provided by Netgalley

Ditched

Ditched: A Love Story begins at the end with Justina being pushed out of a car in a very stained prom dress.  She makes her way into a convenience store where she tells her story to the cashier.  We are brought to the beginning of the story and Justina explains everything that happened leading up to her stumbling into the convenience store starting with the events that led up to prom.

This was a delightfully entertaining love story.  While at first I didn't like Justina I grew to love her as the book went on and her missteps and disasters were so funny.  She was flawed in a very real way but was still sweet.  The other characters seemed very real from her best friend to Ian and Mike and Other Mike.  The book was fairly short and a very fast read which I finished in a few hours.  It reminded me of an end of the year crazy teen movie about that one crazy night where everything goes wrong but ends up ok in the end.

Appropriateness:  This is a book with lots of teen behavior and the teenagers act like teenagers.  There is drinking by other characters however, the main character does not drink.  There also seems to be a constant search for designated drivers which gives this book a nice anti-drunk driving message.  There is a set of stoner characters who talk about their bong.  Justina's romantic situation is in part due to the fact that she and her best friend tried to kiss as many people as possible when they were younger which gives a nice message about how your past actions will follow you.  There is no sex and the romance is limited to a bit of kissing.  Despite all of this I wouldn't have a problem with handing this book to even a young middle schooler because the message is ultimately a good one.  Justina has to deal with the consequences of her past actions and the whole experience is related in a way that does not glorify any of the negative behaviors.  I would recommend this book to teens 13+

ARC Provided by Netgalley

Don't Expect Magic

Don't Expect Magic by Kathy McCullough follows Delaney who moves to California to live with her estranged father, a famous life coach after the death of her mother.  Delaney feels blinded by the sunshine and positive attitudes in California and longs to go back to New Jersey when she finds out a secret.  Her father is a fairy godmother, able to make transformations to fulfill wishes and Delaney may be one too.

I loved this book.  It was cute and quirky and filled with great characters and a bit of magic.  Delaney was a great bad girl who rebelling against the world who finds herself changed by her surroundings and her ability to cause positive change in others.  There is just a bit of romance but it was of equal importance to the relationship that develops between Delaney and her father and her friends.  I loved this book, found it impossible to put down and finished it quickly.

Appropriateness:  This is a light and fluffy book with no adult content.  The romance is sweet and just hinted at.  There is a fantastic message of being oneself while not shutting others out.  I would recommend this to readers 11+

A La Carte

A La Carte by Tanita Davis follows Lainey who dreams of being the first Vegetarian African American TV Chef.  Lainey's mother owns a restaurant and Lainey loves being in the kitchen and creates recipes (included in the story) whenever she has a problem.  Lainey however, is far from perfect.  She has no real friends except a childhood friend Sim who takes advantage of her friendship and then runs away.

I had real problems with this book because the main character was so unlikeable.  Lainey had no friends except for Sim who was obviously a seedy character who was using her and then runs away.  Lainey steals from her mother and then lies to her about Sim's disappearance which he apparently had to do because his father was so terrible (although his terribleness seemed not to be that he was abusive but that he had high expectations).  Lainey finally opens up to a friend and finally is able to see how Sim was using her and is able to make another friend.  I did finish the book and it was a quick read (and I've been in a mood lately where I've been quitting books half way through).  I would not however recommend it because of how pathetic and unlikeable the main character was.

Appropriateness:  This is a good book to show how some people will take advantage and pretend to care to get things from you.  There is a bit of romance but no sex.  There is talk of drugs and alcohol at a party that Laney does not attend that gets out of control and has severe consequences for one of the characters.  I would recommend this book to readers 12+

Saving June

Saving June by Hannah Harrington follows Harper after her sister's suicide.  June's life and family is in shambles after her sister commits suicide and she runs away to California with her best friend and the music obsessed boy her sister used to tutor.  The three of them face an adventure and rebellion on the trip while coming to terms with June's death.

I enjoyed this book but didn't find it to be exceptional or original.  It couldn't seem to decide if it was a book about healing or a road trip book about rebellion.  It tended to embrace the "girl gone wild" moment more than I would have liked which took away from the plot of her learning to deal with her sister's death.  While it did keep me interested I think there are better books dealing with loss or rebellion.

 Appropriateness:  There's tons of adult material in the book.  Harper runs away gets wasted, smokes like a chimney, puts herself in very unsafe situations and has casual sex (with a mention of a condom yay).  It's mostly seen as rebellious and destructive but it's enough that I could see it making young and conservative readers uncomfortable.  I would recommend this book for readers 14+ and recommend that parents use it as a starting conversation on rebellion, drinking, casual sex ect. . .

Review Copy provided by Netgalley

Past Perfect

Past Perfect by Lelia Sales follows Chelsea who is spending the summer, like every summer before working at a colonial historical village.  Chelsea has spent the past several months getting over a breakup and is not happy when her Ex Boyfriend is at orientation.  To make things more complicated Chelsea has been elected second in command of the War between her colonial village and the Confederate one across the street and when she's kidnapped she falls for Dan who is one of the enemy.

I LOVED this book.  It was hysterical.  I couldn't get enough of the historical village and the prank filled war between the two battling sides.  The details in the small characters were great and made the book from the dorky boy with a big crush to her father the history buff and her best friend who is joining her in becoming an ice cream connoisseur.  The romance is a very small part of the book with a larger part being Chelsea getting over her ex-boyfriend and realizing that perhaps things were not as perfect as she remembered.  I loved this book, it was laugh out loud funny.

 Appropriateness:  There are some drunken party scenes in the book although Chelsea does not get drunk.  The romance is limited to kissing (although they are hot kisses) and the kids pull a lot of pranks that ride the line in their legality.  I would recommend this book to readers 12+ who are fans of romantic comedy and chic lit.

If you liked this book and the reenactment village setting then be sure to pre-order Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink by Stephanie Kate Strohm which comes out in May it has a similar feel to this book.

Lola and the Boy Next Door

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins is a companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss.  Lola is a flamboyant teen who believes in costumes as fashion.  Lola thinks everything is going fantastically, she has a 22 year old rocker boyfriend who meets with her Dads for brunch every week.  However when twins Cricket and Calliope move back in next door things get turned upside down.  Lola has a history with Cricket and things quickly get out of hand.

I am normally not a fan of "break up" romance.  Romances that focus on a girl finding out that the person she's with isn't right for her when someone better comes along.  However, Perkins gives us a boy that's so wrong for our heroine (he's 22) that you're just itching for her to see the light (and she does get flack from the people around her for lying to bad rocker boyfriend and stringing along Cricket).  Lola is a delightful and funny girl who isn't afraid to be different.  Cricket is cute (cute enough that I can forgive him for being named Cricket) and a perfect match to Lola's courageousness.  Lola's gay Dads are a nice addition and portrayed as normal adoptive parents who just happen to both be men and her troubled relationship with her birth mother seemed realistic.  I loved this book and could not put it down.  It is super romantic (even though it's breakup romance).

Appropriateness:  This is a sweet and funny romance.  Lola starts the book in a relationship with an older guy (she's 17, he's 22 making it borderline illegal) however, she slowly realizes that he might be attracted to her because she's young.  It makes for a good starting point when talking to your child about why older guys go after younger girls.  Lola is sexually active however there are no sex scenes.  Her boyfriend (who is legal) drinks and smokes (he's a bad boy) but she does not because of her family history of alcoholism.  I would recommend this book to fans of romance 12+

Fetching

Fetching by Kiera Stewart stars Olivia a girl who lives with her grandmother a dog trainer.  Olivia and her friends have been bullied by the popular group at school so they decide to train them like dogs.  The girls find success with their methods but things are not as good on the top as they seem.

I really enjoyed this book.  While it's not the most original concept for adults it has a plot that teen and tween girls will love.  The story of girls coming up with a plan to knock the popular mean girls off the top rungs of middle school society is one that kids will love.  I enjoyed the varying characters.  The subplot about a girl who feels abandoned by her mother who is in a mental hospital is fantastic and really rounds out Olivia's character.

While some of the methods the girls (and boy) use aren't realistic there are some good lessons in the book.  The girls look for signs that the bullies are going to "attack" and deflect their behavior with distraction.  The girls have a bit of a physical transformation but nothing extreme.  Olivia gets some mascara, new jeans and some hair product, one of her friends starts wearing her hair away from her face which causes her acne to clear up a bit while another maintains her original way of dress which helps their self confidence.

Appropriateness:  This book has no adult content.  There is no romance beyond a couple crush comments.  The characters are eighth graders and nice kids.  I would recommend this book to girls 9-14.

Review copy provided by netgalley

Bunheads

Bunheads by Sophie Flack follows Hannah a dancer in the Corps of the Manhattan Ballet.  Sophie's life is the ballet, she goes to rehearsal and class and performances every night and hopes to become a soloist.  When she meets a guy outside of the ballet she finds herself struggling to find the time to see him and starts questioning her priorities.  Is the life of a professional dancer really what she wants?

I loved this book.  It was a book about a dancer that was obviously written by someone with insider experience.  I really felt like I was getting a peek into the life of a dancer in a serious ballet company.  The descriptions of the dance and costumes were fantastic.  The characters and the plot are entertaining enough but it's not exactly the most original plot.  I was very happy to find that this wasn't a book about a girl who decides to give up everything for a boy, Hannah makes her own decision because of what is right for her.

Appropriateness:  Hannah is nineteen and has been living on her own since she was a young teen and acts like a nineteen year old.  There is a large amount of underage drinking and a bit of non descriptive sex.  There is a large amount of weight talk in the book, much of which is unhealthy, as the company requires the dancers to have a super slim silhouette.  While I suspect this book will be marketed as a romance the romance is only a small part of the story and readers should read this book as a look into the world of dance and not as a romance novel.  I would recommend the book to teens and adults 14+ and I'd encourage parents of younger readers to address the alcohol and diet/eating disorder issues that are present in the story.

A Year Without Autumn

A Year Without Autumn by Liz Kessler follows Autumn and Jenny who are headed to the timeshare that their families have vacationed at for years.  While on the way to Autumn's house Jenni takes an elevator and finds another woman in Jenni's apartment.  She soon learns that the elevator has taken her one year into the future, a future where Jenni and Autumn's life has fallen apart because of a horrible accident.  Jenni must deal with everything and figure out how she keeps ending up in the future.

This is a terrific and original book about how one thing can change everything and how loss and tragedy can effect a whole community.  A book of family and friendship.  I loved both Jenni and Autumn and the interaction between their families.  The magic aspect was added perfectly and even slightly believable, making it just a little more than a contemporary novel.  I finished the book very quickly and couldn't put it down.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in this book.  There is no romance (except a bit of matchmaking with older characters) and the middle school age characters act like normal middle school aged students.  I would recommend this book to readers 10-14

This Girl is Different

This Girl is Different by JJ Johnson follows Evie a girl who starts regular school after being homeschooled for the first seventeen years of her life.  Evie sticks out in her new school as she challenges her teachers and administration.  After seeing the gym teacher put down a cheerleader because of her weight Evie starts a website to call her out and things spiral out of control.

This was a fairly forgettable book that was entertaining enough.  It reminded me of one of those movies that you watch on the ABC family channel that's entertaining and laughable at the same time.  It's certainly not a must read but it was entertaining, short and I finished it quickly because I wanted to know what would happen next.

Appropriateness: There are a few discussions about sex and some heavy petting but no sex (she even talks with her mom about sex who gives her some good advice).  There is not substance abuse.  I would recommend this book to teens 13+



ARC Provided by Netgalley

Swimming to Chicago

Swimming to Chicago follows a tangle of characters.  Gay teens Alex and Robby, their friend Jillian and Alex and Robby's parents.  Alex is dealing with his mothers suicide and his newly realized sexuality and Robby who is new to town helps him cope.  Jillian is unused to being separated from Alex and flaunts her sexuality and becomes entangled in a relationship with an older married man.

This was an interesting contemporary novel.  It is not at all what I expected or what I usually read but I found myself unable to put it down.  The book is written from multiple viewpoints (which I generally hate) which worked quite well.  The reader is able to see the thoughts of all the characters involved including the parents (without much repetition) and how they interact.  My only complaint about the story is that the detail in the sexual content didn't seem to fit with the type of story I was reading and I think it will turn off many readers.

Appropriateness:  This novel is written for older teens.  It has sexual content (homosexual and adult/teen) that is more graphic than most (although not erotica by any means and it is easily skipped).  There is some drinking.  None of the negative behaviorism are glamorized and the characters face repercussions for the things they have done.  The characters are seventeen and approaching adulthood.  The book covers topics for discussion including bullying, suicide, statutory rape, adultery and sexuality.  I would recommend this book for teens aged 16+

My Double Life

My Double Life by Janette Rallison stars Alexia Garcia who has always known that she looks strangely like pop star Kari Kingsly.  When she is approached by Keri's publicist to act as a stand in she takes the job much to the disapproval of her Mother.  Her mother however does tell her the truth of her conception and that Alexia is Keri's half sister.  Keri is soon thrown into an unfamiliar world and develops a crush on a pop star that turns everything into a mess.

This is a fantastic and fun fairytale story.  Alexia is a nice girl with a big heart who wants to do what is right.  The story was fantastical but yet had enough details to make it slightly believable.  I really enjoyed the story and tore through it in a matter of hours.

Appropriateness: Alexia is a good girl who has good values and is a nice role model.  Her sister Keri has celebrity problems including a gambling addiction which are talked about.  The romance is sweet and innocent and only includes kissing.  I would recommend this book to girls 11-15.

Never Have I Ever

Never Have I Ever, the second book in The Lying Game series by Sara Shepard is narrated by the ghost of Sutton whose long lost twin sister Emma is living her life and trying to find out who killed Sutton.  Making it more complicated is that Sutton and her friends are part of the "Lying Game" club where they play horrific tricks and pranks on people.  In book one we found out that EVERYONE could still be the killer. . . . (it's that type of series).

In this book Emma again tries to find out who killed her while impersonating Sutton.  The mystery this time focuses on the "Twitter Twins" and a prank that Sutton pulled on them.   Emma needs to figure out if they are the killers.

I didn't find this book as entertaining as the last.  The plot was not as focused and did not flow as well and there was no real resolution that I was pushing towards.  Additionally, the gimmick of having Sutton narrate for Emma and the constant reminders of everything that Emma was using belonging to Sutton (Emma went to Sutton's Room and sat at Sutton's chair to use Sutton's Computer and then played with Sutton's locket) made for very clunky reading.  Again at the end the reader knows NOTHING about who killed Sutton and everyone in the book is still a suspect (although some have been ruled out more than others). 

Appropriateness: This is one of those books that will give conservative parents lots of worry. There is plenty of sex talk (although no actual sex), lots of drinking (complete with drinking games), criminal activity, mean girl bullying and even a bit of drug use. There is not as much fashion or name dropping as in the first book. However, the characters in the book in no way appear normal (they're super rich) and Emma quite frequently looks down on their bad behavior. I wouldn't give the book to a high reading elementary schooler but if your middle grade reader wants to read the book it would be good to use it as an opening to have discussions of how to deal with peer pressure situations that they may find themselves in when they're older.