WHY WE BROKE UP by Daniel Handler-REVIEW

Min Green is devastated. She and her boyfriend, Ed Slaterton, broke up. For two months, Min and Ed were practically inseparable. She introduced him to classic movies and he introduced her to basketball. Neither one of them particularly liked the new activities, but they went in order to please the other.

As with most new relationships, friends are neglected, compromises are made, and love is declared.

Everything is great…until it isn’t.

WHY WE BROKE UP consists of Min explaining how her and Ed’s relationship goes wrong. Min kept many mementos from their time together and has decided to give them back. She composes a letter to Ed explaining the importance of each memento and the reasons they broke up. Her final act will be to put the letter in the box with the mementos and dump them on his porch.

Daniel Handler does a FAN-TAS-TIC job of portraying Min as a broken hearted girl. Her devastation comes through perfectly. Anyone who has had their heart broken will be able to identify with Min.

I listened to this on audio and was completely happy with the performance of the narrator, but with the audio I missed out on the unique illustrations by Maira Kalman. Maira Kalman provides illustrations for the mementos throughout the book.

FOREVER by Maggie Stiefvater-REVIEW

Sam no longer turns into a wolf, but now Grace does. While Sam waits for warmer weather and Grace's return a girls body is found in the woods. This sets in motion Isabel's father's attempts to get the ban on hunting wolves lifted.

Since the girl was found near the Boundary Woods and close to Sam's house he is instantly a suspect. Especially since Grace too has seemed to have disappeared.

With the looming threat of the wolves being hunted and Grace being out there with them Sam and Cole must find a place to move the wolves.

In order to save the lives of the wolves and Grace, Sam must do something he hoped he would never have to do again.

Although Forever is not always filled with action the ability of Maggie Stiefvater to keep a person engaged in the characters provides a fascinating page-turner. She has a way of explaining the thoughts and actions of the characters that makes you feel their emotional trauma right along with them. The love between Sam and Grace tugs at your heart. When you read about Sam's struggle to get his thoughts out into words you feel empathy for him. The relationship between Cole and Isabel was filled with tension. And the drama of the wolves' peril kept me holding my breath wondering which ones would survive. Great job Maggie Stiefvater! I will miss Sam and Grace, but I do have one complaint: I wish there were a different ending!

 

NOTE: You need to read the first two books in this series, SHIVER AND LINGER, before you read FOREVER in order to understand the story.

The tables have turned. Now, Sam is the one waiting. Even though waiting for Grace to return to human form is torture, it is nothing to the agony he feels when he thinks about the danger she is in while running loose in the woods. Mr. Culpeper has wanted the wolves in Mercy Falls dead ever since his son was killed by them and after a girl is found torn apart in the woods, Culpeper has just the ammunition he needs to get his wish.

While Grace is Sam's priority, he also has the added responsibility of saving Beck and all the other wolves. Sam and Grace attempt to come up with a plan while Cole St. Clair, ex-lead singer of NARKOTIKA and newest pack member, takes dangerous measures to find a cure for the disease infecting his pseudo family. With the help of Isabel Culpeper and a very unlikely ally, the wolves finally have some hope.

FOREVER has it all - heart-warming romance, angry teen rebellion, and dry, witty humor. It made me laugh, cry, and stress in all the right amounts. FOREVER is the final book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. It provides the reader a satisfying ending while still leaving enough room for us to wonder about the future of the pack.

Maggie Stiefvater has given readers a wonderful story in the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. If you haven't read them yet, run run run to the store and get them today.

 A Note From Julie:
I loved The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. I wish it were more than a trilogy! While I loved the series, there were some adult themes that may not be suitable for all ages.  There was some language in the series, but it wasn't excessive. Sam and Grace do have sex. While not overly descriptive the reader does know what is going on.

DOING IT by Melvin Burgess-REVIEW

Sex, Sex, Sex….it seems that is all that is on the minds of the three boys in this book. Dino, Ben, and Jonathan are great friends and all trying to find a way to lose their virginity. Dino is obsessed with Jackie, the most popular girl at school. Jackie doesn’t give Dino the time of day. She likes older boys and has had a serious boyfriend for a while. Finally, after a lot of convincing, Jackie agrees to go on a date with Dino. She finds that she can’t stop thinking about him and finally they become an item. Dino’s life is perfect – almost! Jackie won’t have sex with him. They get so close, but then she stops him – promising they will later. Eventually, Dino gives up and decides to sleep with another girl on the side and still keep Jackie as his “girlfriend.”


Ben has a secret. He lost his virginity a long time ago and has never told anyone about it – not even Dino and Jonathan. With all the sex talk going on between the three of them it is hard to understand why he wouldn’t say anything until you realize who it is he is sleeping with on a regular basis. Ben has been having a secret affair with one of his teachers for a while. At first he loved it an considered himself very lucky. But, things have changed. It isn’t as fun as it used to be, but will he be able to find a way to break it off?

Jonathan likes Deborah and wouldn’t mind calling her his girlfriend, but he doesn’t know if he can take the ribbing and teasing he’ll get from everyone at school – including his best friends. Deborah is a “plumper” and Jonathan likes her womanly curves and soft body. The times they have secretly made out have been wonderful, but he doesn’t know if he wants people to know they are together.

These three boys have to make a lot of hard decisions through the course of this story. DOING IT is not for the faint of heart. If you don’t like to read about sex or sexual activities (a.k.a. HEAVY petting) – then this isn’t the book for you. It is graphic in many parts, but, in my opinion, rings completely true coming from the mouths and minds of teenage boys. There were many times when I laughed out loud.

I listened to audio and the narrator did a great job.

ACCESS DENIED by Denise Vega-REVIEW

Hoping to not repeat the Year of Humiliating Events(YOHE) that was Erin P. Swifts 7th grade year she embarks on her 8th grade year with high hopes.


She meets her new locker partner Reede. Reede offers to “make-over” Erin’s looks. Erin can’t deny that she admires Reede for her seeming maturity and makeup savvy but at the same time she worries that Reede’s skills in the computer lab may usurp her own.

Mark is Erin’s best friend. They play basketball together, they tease each other. Erin had a crush on him the year before but now Mark has a girlfriend and Erin has a new boyfriend. Some of her other friends swear that they will turn out to be a Harry Met Sally couple.

Erin can’t seem to talk to her mother anymore. Her mother doesn’t seem to understand her. Erin seems to only be able to talk to her friend Mr. F the school custodian whom she shares many secrets with and gets good advice from.

When her brother brings over a total HOTTIE friend Erin thinks that she is in love. He makes her feel older than she really is. He is 3 years older than her and she is willing to risk friendships and parental disappointment to prove to him how grown up she is.

When tragedy strikes Erin finds out what truly matters in her world.

I really enjoyed this story. Working with Middle Schoolers I totally see all of the boyfriend/girlfriend events going on. Denise Vega really captured the essence of the Middle School community.

BITTER END by Jennifer Brown-REVIEW #5

Alex feels lost. She has ever since her mother drove off, leaving the family behind, and dying in a terrible car accident on her way to Colorado.  Alex has always wondered what Colorado meant to her mother. Why was going there more important than her family? In order to help her get over losing her mother, her two best friends Bethany and Zack start making plans to take a roadtrip to Colorado after high school graduation.


During Senior year, a new boy moves to town and catches Alex's eye. Cole is attentive, athletic, and attractive. Soon, Cole begins to monopolize all of Alex's time. He shows signs of jealousy about her relationship with Zack, shows up where she works and hangs out until she gets off, and starts having violent mood swings.

Alex finds herself in a difficult position. She knows Cole's behavior is wrong and she shouldn't put up with it, but at the same time, she doesn't want to be the "girl who is being abused." The poster child for domestic abuse.

Will Alex find the strength to make the right decision? Will she be able to salvage her relationships with Bethany and Zack? Will she ever find out why her mother needed to get to Colorado so badly?

BITTER END is a wonderfully crafted story. The friendship between Bethany, Zack, and Alex is great and made me want to have friends like them. Jennifer Brown did a lot of research in the area of domestic violence and it really shows. Everything rings true in this novel.

LOVE BITES(Vampire Kisses #7) by Ellen Schreiber-Review #4

Alexander’s best friend Sebastian shows up in Dullsville. Raven is happy that Alexander has someone his own kind to be with until Sebastian meets her best friend Becky. Sebastian is instantly infatuated and thinks himself in love. Becky is flattered but very much in love with her boyfriend Matt. Raven and Alexander decide to throw a party for Sebastian so that he can meet someone else to be the love of his life. What they don’t count on is the party being crashed by Trevor and his followers. What started out to be a small party turns into quite a blowout.


This installment of the Vampire Kisses series wasn’t my favorite. With the way this book ended with a cliffhanger hopefully the next installment will be more exciting.
This series is fairly clean. Very little language and just a bit of kissing.

THE CHRONICLES OF VLADIMIR TOD EIGHTH GRADE BITES by Heather Brewer-REVIEW

Vlad is in the eighth grade. Vlad is fodder for the bullies. Vlad is half human and half vampire. His mother was human and his father was a vampire.


Vlad’s parents have both died. He lives with “Aunt Nelly” who isn’t his real Aunt, but was his mother’s best friend. Nelly is trying to give Vlad a “normal” life. She is a nurse so she is able to bring him blood from work. She hides the blood in different forms so that Vlad can live like other teenagers. She will place it in a cup and call it “tea”. She puts capsules of blood in his sandwiches so that he can remain nourished throughout the day. Vlad has never tasted blood straight from the source…well with one exception. When he was 8 he bit his best friend Henry. Henry is the only human besides Nelly that knows that Vlad is a vampire.

When one of the teachers at school is missing and feared dead scary things start to happen for Vlad. First is their new substitute teacher. One of the first things he wants the class to do is write a presentation on a mythical figure. Vlad picks Werewolf out of the hat, but right before his eyes the words transform into the word “VAMPIRE”. Other things happen that make Vlad fear that this new substitute may be onto his secret and may even be the reason that the teacher is missing and also may be responsible for the death of his parents.

Through reading his father’s old journal Vlad discovers that there is a whole vampire world that he never knew existed. Can he discover who killed his parents and why?

Eighth Grade Bites was entertaining. And I look forward to seeing how Vlad developes as we go with him through the twelfth grade.

PURE by Terra Elan McVoy - Review

Tabitha and her friends have promised each other and God to not have sex until they are married. To show their commitment they each have a ring to signify their vow.

When one of the girls has sex it threatens to break up their whole friendship. Tabitha is sad that her friend made that choice and broke her promise, but Tabitha decides she needs to stick by her when the leader of the group wants nothing more to do with her.

Tabitha is caught in the middle. She wants to remain faithful to her promise. But she also doesn’t believe that having sex is an “unforgivable” sin like her friend Morgan believes. Tabitha is sad to lose her best friend Morgan. But Tabitha cannot be as harsh as Morgan and ignore a friend in trouble.Tabitha struggles with the changes that have overcome their group of friends. She wants everything to be back the way it was, but struggles with the rift that has separated her and her best friend.

Wow! Terra McVoy has really captured the struggle that such a commitment involves. At first I thought that the author might poke fun at the millions of teens that have made that commitment. But I think she captured the reality of how difficult it is for people to remain pure when they are carried away by lustful feelings. There were times that I questioned whether I was going to like this book or not but in the end I really liked it. Thank you Ms. McVoy for a very thought-provoking read!