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.
Author: Michael Mullin
Ashfall is the story of Alex, a teenage boy left alone for the weekend while his parents visit relatives. When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts unexpectedly, Alex is determined to reach his parents. He must travel over a hundred miles in a landscape transformed by a foot of ash and the destruction of every modern convenience that he has ever known, and through a new world in which disaster has brought out both the best and worst in people desperate for food, water, and warmth. With a combination of nonstop action, a little romance, and very real science, this is a story that is difficult to stop reading and even more difficult to forget.
Note: I received this book from the publisher via NeyGalley for review but did not get any compensation for the review.
Since her father’s death four years ago, Donna has gone through the motions of living: her friendships are empty, she’s clueless about what to do after high school graduation, and her grief keeps her isolated, cut off even from the one parent she has left. That is until she’s standing in front of the dead body of a classmate at Brighton Brothers’ Funeral Home. At that moment, Donna realizes what might just give her life purpose is comforting others in death. That maybe who she really wants to be is a mortician. This discovery sets in motion a life Donna never imagined was possible. She befriends a charismatic new student, Liz, notices a boy, Charlie, and realizes that maybe he's been noticing her, too, and finds herself trying things she hadn’t dreamed of trying before. By taking risks, Donna comes into her own, diving into her mortuary studies with a passion and skill she didn’t know she had in her. And she finally understands that moving forward doesn’t mean forgetting someone you love. Jen Violi’s heartfelt and funny debut novel is a story of transformation—how one girl learns to grieve and say goodbye, turn loss into a gift, and let herself be exceptional...at loving, applying lipstick to corpses, and finding life in the wake of death. Review: Donna is on the cusp of adulthood but is still trying to get over the loss of her father. After the death of a classmate she realizes that she is drawn to the funeral home and is interested in learning more about becoming a mortician. As she explores her options for the future she realizes she must confront her grief from the past in order to move on. Adolescence is such a difficult time of change when teens must choose their careers and face life after high school. Jen Violi has captured the difficulty of this time so well in this book, it is a wonderful primer on how to deal with making choices even when they go against everything your parent wants. Donna is a complex and well developed character. She faces a difficult choice of pleasing a parent or choosing a career that makes her happy. The courage she displays in making a choice that endangers the relationship with her remaining parent was remarkable. The way she grew while dealing with her unresolved grief made me want to reach in and hug her. The secondary characters are also well developed and interesting, making this a very well rounded book. The main topic was strange for a YA book - handling the dead. The author has opened a window into a world not often explored. And it is a fascinating world where the art involved in caring for the dead is explored. It makes it clear that death is something we all must deal with and makes one thankful for those who care for our loved ones after death. Grief is also with here but not the main theme of the book. This is a wonderful book about making difficult choices and the rewards that are there when one seeks them. Rating: A wonderful story about difficult choices
Author: Jen Violi
Published: May 24, 2011
Pages: 336
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Description from Goodreads:
Note: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review but did not get any compensation for the review.
Author: Steve Watkins
Published: April 12, 2011
Pages: 334
Genre: Realistic YA Fiction
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Description from Goodreads:
After her veterinarian dad dies, sixteen-year-old Iris Wight must leave her beloved Maine to live on a North Carolina farm with her hardbitten aunt and a cousin she barely knows. Iris, a vegetarian and animal lover, immediately clashes with Aunt Sue, who mistreats the livestock, spends Iris’s small inheritance, and thinks nothing of striking Iris for the smallest offense. Things come to a head when Iris sets two young goats free to save them from slaughter, and an enraged Aunt Sue orders her brutish son, Book, to beat Iris senseless - a horrific act that lands Book and his mother in jail. Sent to live with an offbeat foster family and their "dooking" ferrets, Iris must find a way to take care of the animals back at the farm, even if it means confronting Aunt Sue. Powerful and deeply moving, this compelling novel affirms the redemptive power of animals and the resilience of the human spirit.
Review:
Iris Wight doesn't remember much about her mother, she left when Iris was five years old and never returned. Now Iris is sixteen and she has just buried her father. The friends who promised her father they would care for her are having marital issues and can no longer keep their promise. She is forced to leave Maine and move to a farm in North Carolina to live with her Aunt Sue who she met once 14 years earlier. It soon becomes clear that the only reason her aunt agreed to take her was the money in her father's estate. Her life is lonely and difficult and the only comfort she finds is in the animals on the farm. But when Aunt Sue decides to slaughter her favorite goats Iris rebels and tries to save them. This results in an assault that lands Iris in the hospital and Aunt Sue and her son in jail. Iris is moved to a foster home and has to leave her beloved animals behind. Watkins has produced a touching novel about a strong, determined young woman who has been abandoned by those she loves for most of her life. Her response is to withdraw and try to do things on her own. But as the book progresses she realizes that she cannot accomplish her goal of keeping the animals safe all alone. She slowly opens up to the people around her, and even develops a relationship with a classmate who is dealing with his own loss.
This is one of the most heartbreaking novels I have read in a long time. This is not an action packed read, but rather a character driven story that was a delight to read. The main character, Iris, is a real teen who has had more hardship than should be allowed but her strength and determination shine through to allow her to remain strong and likable. She has abandonment woven into her life. It started with her mother leaving, continued with her father's sudden death and was seen in her friend's inability to keep their promise. When she is faced with the dilemma of having to leave her beloved animals when she was placed in foster care she could not abandon them as others have done to her, no matter what the cost.
The secondary characters are just as memorable. From the Buddha looking school counselor who preferred to sit on the floor instead of behind a desk to the quirky, ferret loving foster parents, I was drawn to each one and would be glad to have people like them in my life. Watkins even made the animals within the novel come to life, each one with a unique personality, making me feel just as invested in their safety as Iris was.
The violence Iris experienced at the hands of Aunt Sue and her son was shocking and as a mother I wanted to jump in and give her she the comfort she desperately needed. When they were put in jail for their actions the school bullies stepped in and continued to harass Iris. How she dealt with these issues was remarkable, making her a memorable character.
On the surface this could be seen as a simple story about a girl who loves animals and tries to do what is right for them. But it is so much more. It is a wonderful tale about loss, grief and triumph over adversity. It teaches us that while everyone faces challenges in life, it is the way we decide to deal with them that dictates who we will become.
Rating: An excellent book with life lessons and memorable characters
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.
Author: Gayle Forman
Published: April 5, 2011
Pages: 208
Rating: 5/5 Stars
When we left Mia in If I Stay she was just waking up from a coma. Her parents and brother have been killed in a car accident and when her boyfriend Adam begs her to stay she decided not to join them but continue living. When this book opens it is three years later and we find that she left for Julliard several months after the accident. She didn't just leave Oregon behind, she left Adam.
"She kissed me good-bye. She told me that she loved me more than life itself. Then she stepped through security. She never came back."
Now he is a famous rock star but his life is a mess because he has never gotten over the loss of Mia. He doesn't know why she left him, or what she is doing now. The book explores the events that have happened in the last three years, in flashbacks just like we reviewed Mia's life in the first book. Why did Mia leave and is there any hope for their love to be renewed?
When I started to read the book I was surprised to find that it was in Adam's voice. At first I didn't like it but I soon realized that it was a genius move by the author to explore life from his point of view. Very few novels view a love story from the male side and I found it very refreshing. The prose is beautiful and the story is emotionally powerful. Forman has created some very compelling characters here, people who have real life flaws and problems. There is no glossing over the problems Adam has experienced since Mia walked out of his life. And the message that fame and fortune are not always the answer was impressive. Flawed though he may be I found myself hoping that things would work out for Adam. The flow of events was very realistic and touching and having worked with people experiencing grief it was clear the author did her research on this subject. The book is a wonderful example of how love can destroy, heal and help overcome life's obstacles. Fans of the first book will find a satisfying sequel, I liked it better than the first book. If you have not read the first book you can pick up this one and still enjoy the it. I highly recommend this one.
Rating: An impressive sequel not to be missed
Note: I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley for review,but did not get any compensation for my review.
Author: Gayle Forman
Published: April 6, 2010
Pages: 272
Rating: 4/5 Stars
A family outing on a beautiful winter day turns tragic when a car accident leaves three dead and one fighting for her life. Mia finds herself outside her body, staring at her dead parents and watching as she is whisked off in a helicopter to a trauma center. What follows is her decision to stay alive or follow the rest of her family in death.
Forman has told a gripping story is such an eloquent way, readers will be thinking about this one long after they finish the last page. As Mia watches her body being worked on she remembers the important parts of her life in snippets of flashbacks. From the birth of her younger brother to her first kiss, we learn about who she is and how her family was the rock of her life. Easy to read prose tells the story in a compelling way, with grief, friendship and love woven throughout. The characters are well developed and jump off the page. They are people you would like to have in your own life. This is a story that evokes emotions and makes the reader stop and think: what would my choice be? A sequel, Where She Went, will be released in early April 2011.
Rating: A gripping story that is wonderfully told. A great read
