Shift by Jennifer Bradbury

“some friends fade away…others disappear”

Chris and Win have been friends for as long as each of them can remember. After high school graduation the two embark on a countrywide trek from Virginia to Seattle on their bikes before each head off to college.  Like many friendships that grow up together, Chris and Win know each other probably better than any other person on the planet. They know the troubles they face at home, the dreams not willing to let go to the flaws that make them human. But, as the journey nears the end Win leaves Chris on the side of the road with a flat tire and a ton of resentment. Resentment that continues to grow until the FBI shows up  and Win is nowhere to be found.

I started reading this book because my sport of choice is cycling and it got me thinking about what an adventure on my bike would be like-especially with my bff. After I stopped giggling at that image; I was quickly drawn into the story. It grabs you from the beginning as a good thriller should and intertwines stories from the present and the past expertly while dropping clues just when you think you’ve figured it out. The characters are relatable and heart wrenching in their growth. 2008, 245 pages.

 

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

With the cliff hanger provided in Hunger Games, the first book in the trilogy, I was like many fans waiting in anticipation for Catching Fire to be released.  Catching Firepicks up after the Hunger Games and Katniss and Peeta have returned home to District 12.  Katniss is uncomfortable with Peeta’s admission that their planned romance to win isn’t so business like for him as she also wrestles with her changing relationship with her childhood friend Gale.

A surprise visit from the President of Pelham quickly brings the harsh reality that Katniss and Peeta has sparked a revolution with their “love” defiance of the Capitol. With everything and everyone at stake they travel to the Capitol in hopes of squashing any rebellion. Epically failing, the Capitol shows how cruel it can really be and changes the very rules their society functions on. Will the spark become a fire or will everything be lost?

I stayed up late, really late, on a work night to finish this book. Like many readers, I am already attached to the characters and am wanting to watch them grow. I’m wanting the plot to evolve and develop into something new and I want revolution. Well, come on, the whole theme begs for it. Collins delivered to an extent on all three and I was left with my mouth hanging open at the last sentence so I’m keeping the jury out.  Book 2 is always tough and I think that is part of where it lost its punch.  Here’s to hoping that book three will provide the release that continued to build-even if only in the background-in book two. 2009, 291 pages.

 

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

When a book gets enough buzz surrounding it that the reviews don’t just compare it to Twilight but rather say it’s the first book to be just as good as Twilight-collection development librarians take notice. I sure did as did the young adult librarians in the system and as it turns out, everyone else.

The premise. Grace is fascinated with the wolves that live in the woods behind her house-especially the one with the yellow eyes that watches her. Despite an attack when she was young that should have killed her, she is a fierce protector of the pack.  What she doesn’t know is that the pack is not a group of average wolves, but are rather werewolves. The wolf with the yellow eyes is named Sam and during the summer, he changes to human.  After years of watching each other, fate is about to bring them startling close.

I admit, when I first started reading Twilight, I rolled my eyes a lot until I got hooked into the story. There is only so much teenage angst one can handle when you are no longer a teen. Shiver started the same way for me only it took me much longer to get hooked on the story. I haven’t seen that problem in the teens reading the book either, so I’ll chalk it up to my age.  The adrenaline mixed with the absolute certainty that this is the only person for you is an irresistible pull for many teens. The characters are well drawn and compassionate in situations that could easily bring out the worst in them.  I think readers who wanted just a little bit more from Twilight will find enjoyment in Shiver. 2009, 390 pages.

“Your life is sometimes a st one in you, and then, a star.” ~Rilke

 

Girl, Going on 17 Pants on Fire by Sue Limb

Having spent the summer blissfully in her boyfriend Fred’s arms, Jess starts the school year shockingly single and instantly finds herself in a quagmire of situations that are hilarious, over-the-top and life changing. Of course, isn’t that what being a teenager is all about?

This is the third book in the Jess Jordan series. A British take on the teenage experience, the series if off-beat and funky.  Like Louise Rennison, Sue Limb makes her readers laugh at the most embarrassing moments because face it, we’ve all been there. Engaging, relatable characters. Quick story line that could be set anywhere minus the few references to British terminology.  2006, 204 pages.

 

Ghost of Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen

Touching Spirit Bearis one of my favorite books after getting a very enthusiastic push to read it several years ago. I’ve even traveled to see Ben Mikaelsen speak.  It was a profound book about the outward manifestations of inner damage and the redemption you can almost be forced to find under the right circumstances. Fall seven times, stand up eight.

The Ghost of Spirit Bear picks up with the main characters Cole and Peter who have a tenuous grasp on their recovery. Being thrown back into a harsh school environment they struggle to find their way.  Isn’t the true test of recovery when you can handle anything under pressure? Will Cole resort back to his violent past? 

I listened to this book on audio and it was a quick listen. It didn’t move me like the first book did-it had too many cheesy moments and didn’t have the gritty, harsh feel I was expecting. That said, readers are already attached to the characters and will want to see what happens to them.  I’m a little disappointed tho-I expected more. 2008, 154 pages.

 

(Re)cycler by Lauren McLaughlin

The sequel to Cycler, Recycler picks up three months after the end of Cycler with the same basic premise. Jill McTeague has a unique problem in which for 4 days of the month she transforms into Jack-all parts assembled…if you know what I mean. Jill has a tough decision before her. Does she go to New York with her best friend Ramie so that her alter-ego Jack can be with his girlfriend 4 days a month or does she follow Tommy, and her own heart, on his long planned road trip across the United States?

I looked forward to reading Cycler wondering if the author was going to deal with sexual fluidity and the idea of two genders in one body. She does, but in a subtle way that tries to not offend anybody. Cycler took me a bit to get into-it seems like I was reading the author flushing out the idea of Jill and Jack before my eyes with mixed results but I was still hooked by the characters and their situations.

So, imagine my surprise, when reading an advanced readers copy of Recycler that I found that the ideas have been flushed and everyone is on much more solid ground.  Jack is given a much more prominent role in both substance and thought. The reader cannot help but get to intimately know Jill and Jack in their journey. They are sympathetic characters that despite the crazy scenario-people can relate too. The story moved between the viewpoint of Jack and Jill which can slow the pace down a bit but it still moves quickly. The really tough issues are dealt with almost too easily but readers will easily forgive. Its just one of those books that make you go hmmmm…cue music. 2009, 288 pages.

 

Exclusively Chloe by J.A. Yang

Chloe Grace is a teenager born into a life of celebrity thanks to her adopted rocker dad and Grammy award winning actress mother. Thrown into the spotlight all her life, when her parents seem on the brink of a divorce Chloe decides she can’t handle it anymore and enrolls in a regular school as a regular kid, Lily. Will a “normal” teenage experience be less drama filled?

This is a light, easy read to enjoy on a weekend. The characters are mildly developed-you really only get to know Chloe-which is part of teen fiction-and the pace is moderate. While most teens will not relate to the glamour filled world Chloe lives in, we all can relate to wanting to fit in and not make any waves in high school. 2009, 245 pages.

 

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Seventeen-year-old Tyler was a geeky kid who lived in obscurity until he decided to do something about it and committed “the incident” that rocketed him to high school fame and constant scrutiny at the same time. While doing community service, Tyler gets buffed finally gets the attention of the most beautiful girl in school, Bethany, and her bully brother, and his distant, angry father…

Anderson does a good job of getting to the inner turmoil of a typical teenage male. The reader really gets to know the inner struggles Tyler has that bring him to the edge of a very dark place.  The book never feels trite or placating-the emotions are realistic and engaging. 2007, 250 pages. 2008/2009 Gateway Award Nominee.

 

This Book Isn’t Fat, It’s Fabulous by Nina Beck

Imagine gossip girls for the slightly fluffy set and you have the basic premise behind this book. Riley is uber smart and super rich-she runs with the fast crowd and has a take no prisoners policy when it comes to the boys in her high school and the torture she inflicts on her best “frenemy” Marley.  Riley’s big secret is she has a huge crush on her best friend “D” and her evil step-mom is sending her to fat camp for the summer. If she can just keep all her secrets in the air, she just might survive…

This was a fun, quick read about a fat girl who has more sass and confidence than most fat girls and that makes you want to like her…even if she is a little bit evil. Typical teenage angst and lots of quick wit will have readers laughing throughout.  The additional materials in the form of letters and chat logs add to the humor. 2008, 233 pages.

 

The 9 lives, volume 1 by Bayou and Rachel Manija Brown

I’ve been reading graphic novels somewhat regularly now yet somehow I keep neglecting to write about them. Conri is a young cat-boy, an alien species that has come to live on earth. Only problem is that humans have enslaved them and force them to live as collared pets. Conri is on his own and in his own naive, stubborn ways thinks he can take on anything or anyone.  Naturally, it is at this point that he is almost captured. Adrian, a human, saves him from capture but Conri has a hard time believing Adrian has no interest in making him his slave.

This is a cute manga with some pretty serious dystopia type issues going on. The characters will draw readers in quickly and despite the premise of aliens that look like a cross between cats and humans, universal themes of the need for love and acceptance will ring true with many readers. 2008.