Author: Sarah Honenberger
Published: December 28, 2010
Pages: 256
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Description from Goodreads:
A few months after doctors tell him he has only a year to live, a precocious 15-year-old from a small town in Virginia has an intense reaction to The Catcher in the Rye. Deriving inspiration from Salinger's narrative, Daniel Landon begins to question the intentions and authority of those around him in his own search for identity as he faces death. Tired of his cramped surroundings and hippie parents' alternative approaches to his treatment, he follows the footsteps of Holden Caulfield to New York City in search of the same eternal truths, only to discover the importance of home when death looms. A coming of age story, a love story, and a new classic, CATCHER, CAUGHT will engage the imagination of more than one generation, searching for lasting values.
Review:
Daniel Landon has been diagnosed with Leukemia. After reviewing treatment options and getting no guarantee that chemotherapy will cure him, his parents opt to use alternative, herbal treatment. Unfortunately, their misguided plan is costing Daniel his life. The story follows Daniel over the next year as he experiences normal teenage angst while also contemplating his own death. Along the way he reads The Cather in the Rye and identifies with the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, and begins to use the book as a guide to help him decide how to take control of his life.
Honenberger has created a genuine character in Daniel. We are treated to his thoughts about living and dying, and his agony at being cheated from his share of life. But all is not dark and dismal; we follow him as he tries to fit in all the life he can and are treated to his interaction with friends well as his search for love.
Catcher pays respect to Holden as we see Daniel's trip of self discovery. The book does not neatly tie up all the loose ends and by the novel's end a happy ending is not assured, but there are no promises in real life so the novel does an excellent job in reflecting reality. This is a novel that teaches lessons while allowing the reader a glimpse into the head of a teen. It is well worth your time.
Rating: It is worth taking the trip onthis journey of self discovery.
Published: July 5, 2011
Pages: 319
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Description from Goodreads:
At the age of 15, Taylor Beauforte has only met her father twice in person. After all, he is the lead singer of a world-famous rock band, constantly on the cover of music magazines and giving interviews on MTV. He pays for Taylor to attend the Treadwell Academy, a prestigious boarding school in Massachusetts, and provides her mother with monthly checks to cover her basic needs, but has never made much of an effort to play an active part in Taylor’s life. Taylor's mom Dawn is the only family she has ever really known, and because of Dawn's hard-partying Hollywood lifestyle, studious Taylor is happiest on the other side of the country in Massachusetts with her nose buried in a book.
When Taylor 's mom unexpectedly dies the summer before Taylor starts her junior year, she receives a crash course in fame. Over the course of the summer with the band, Taylor learns the depths of her own strength, the difficulty of overcoming loss, and that the definition of family means much more than shared bloodlines.
Review:
Taylor grew up knowing she had a famous father, but was raised by her alcoholic mother on the opposite coast. When her mother unexpectedly dies, her father comes to claim her and she joins him as his band tours the United States. Along the way she learns how fame can affect lives, how groupies work, lessons about her mother as well as herself.
Duffy has created a believable characters in Taylor and her family. She paints a realistic picture of how fame affects people and those around them. The story is well written and flows well; it is an easy read. Some tough topics are covered here: drug and alcohol abuse, peer pressure, teen sex and more.
Rating: An enjoyable read with some important teen topics addressed inside.
Author: Eireann Corrigan
Published: August 1, 2010
Pages: 304
Rating: 4/5
Description from Goodreads:
They've gotten good grades - but that's not good enough. They've spent hours on community service - but that's not good enough. Finn and Chloe's advisor says that colleges have enough kids with good grades and perfect attendance, so Chloe decides they'll have to attract attention another way. She and Finn will stage Chloe's disappearance, and then, when CNN is on their doorstep and the nation is riveted, Finn will find and save her. It seems like the perfect plan - until things start to go wrong. Very wrong.
Review:
Finn and Chloe have been best friends for years. Near high school graduation the school counselor advises them that they will have to be very memorable to get into the college of their choice. Chloe comes up with a plan to fake her disappearance, believing that she will have a great story to put on her college application. She hides out in an empty house, while Finn has to watch the fallout of the fake kidnapping. Chloe's parents are distraught, Finn hates lying about the disappearance and then a friend is arrested for the kidnapping. The novel follows the entire plot and the consequences of their actions.
The book is fast paced and suspenseful and it kept my attention from the first page right through to the end of the book. The story was narrated by Finn whose teenage voice was realistic and we watch her character grow as she realizes that everyone has to pay for the choices they make and that sometimes the cost of friendship can be too high. Chloe was also a well developed character who was so self centered that I didn't like her. But it was the combination of the two that made the book work and it was fascinating to view the insides of their friendship. This was a captivating book and I couldn't wait to see how it all turned out. The ending was satisfying and by the end of the book the message was clear: your actions affect more people than you think and the consequences last a lifetime.
Rating: An excellent book with a unique story
Author: Morgan Matson
Published: May 4, 2010
Pages: 352
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Four months ago Amy Curry had a perfect teenage life. Now her Dad is dead, her mother has moved across the country and her twin brother is in rehab. To top it off her mother expects her to drive across the country with a stranger. The book opens as Amy meets Roger, a college guy who has problems of his own. They decide to detour from the trip Amy's mother planned and see the country as they make their way from California to Connecticut. The book follows their road trip and their discovery of each other along the way.
Morgan Matson has created such an engaging story that I was sucked right into the backseat and went along for the ride. There was no fast paced action to pull you along, but I still was so drawn to the book that I could not put it down. Instead, it was the story and the characters that kept me reading. Amy and Roger's characters had so many layers, it was a joy to see them revealed as the trip progressed. The secondary characters were equally well developed, from the video game player on a quest to the topiary creating teen, each was unique in their own way. The slow building romance followed the pace of the journey, and was wonderfully done. The journal kept along the way was genius, it added so much to the story, from the receipts to the doodles, it allowed us to peak into the journey through the minds of Amy and Roger. And the play lists helped set the mood of the trip as it progressed.
This was a great book about grief, friendship, heartbreak and romance. It tells the story of how to move on with life by letting go. And it reminds us that the best discoveries are the ones we make when we aren't looking for them. I suggest you read this one, it is a journey you will not want to miss.
Rating: Outstanding, don't miss this one.
