Summer Book Buzz
37 Things I Love (In No Particular Order)
Ellis's father has been in a coma for years after a construction accident, and she's always held on to the hope that he'll wake up. Suddenly, though, her mother wants to take him off life support, which is something Ellis can't bear to consider. With her life falling apart, her future seems bleak — at least, until she begins to find solace in the most unexpected places. In the last four days of sophomore year, promises are made, friends are found, and Ellis’s life is transformed forever.
Vera Brosgol’s graphic novel, Anya’s Ghost, is a story of an angst-ridden teenage girl struggling to cope with the grievances of adolescent life. She is unhappy with her body, unable to fit in at school, and embarrassed by her immigrant past and Russian roots.
There is no guilty pleasure as good or as shameful as making fun of beauty queens. So when I received New York Times bestselling author Libba Bray’s novel, Beauty Queens, I was skeptical as to whether it had any real depth. Fortunately, I was wrong. Bray’s hilarious novel is about a group of Miss Teen Dream pageant contestants struggling to survive after their plane crashes on a deserted island, killing a majority of their fellow contenders.
Blue-haired Karou, a young art student living in Prague, has only recently realized that her childhood in the strange and beautiful city was abnormal: she was raised by four monsters in an old shop with a door that opens to anywhere. She’s used to not knowing why or how things happen and always being kept in the dark. When her connection to her family of monsters is severed, Karou decides to find out the history behind her dramatic and fantastical life.
The book follows the lives of two teen girls: Amanda Madison and Jill McSweeney. Amanda (Mandy) is 18 years old and pregnant. Jill and Robin McSweeney bring Mandy into their home because Jill’s mother plans to adopt Mandy’s baby. Jill, who is still dealing with the death of her father, has trouble adjusting to what she believes is her mother’s attempt to replace Jill’s father.
In Cris Beam's I Am J, we meet Jennifer Silver, aka J. J is transgender or, in J's words, “a boy trapped in a girl's body.” J faces identity problems, unaware that there are other people in the world just like him. His best friend abandons him and he feels a growing distance forming between him and his parents, so he runs away. But through the guidance of a fellow transgender, the “rainbow” school, and a girl named Blue, J learns that he's not alone in the world and that there are people who will accept him for him.
In a futuristic world where the western United States is the Republic—a nation that is always at war with its neighbors—live two 15 year olds, Day and June. June was born into one of the Republic’s richest regions. She is one of the few lucky citizens with money, food, electricity, and medicine to help fight against the plague that has swept the nation. Day, born in the slums, has hopes of his family having a better life.
The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt
The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt was, without a doubt, one of the most engaging novels I have ever read. The story revolves around the life of Frankie Pratt, a young college student growing up in the 1920s. Through the novel, readers discover Frankie’s love of writing, traveling, friendship, and love affairs. However, what makes this book stand out from any other is the full-color vintage memorabilia that fills every page.
Under the Mesquite tells the story of Guadalupe Garcia McCall through her narrative poetry. It encompasses the transitions McCall went through in each stage of her life. She moves from her native Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, to Eagle Pass, Texas en los Estados Unidos, the United States. This relocation is a challenge that I can relate to as a Mexico native, but McCall also talks about the challenges in life that are relatable for a wider audience.
Virtuosity tells the story of a girl with dreams, desires, and hopes. To many of us, this will sound familiar, and Jessica Martinez's book is about that exact desire to succeed that so many of us share. Carmen is 17 years old and a talented violinist. She is so talented, in fact, that she has already won a Grammy award, and now she has a new goal—to win the prestigious Guarneri competition.
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