Week 15

 Series and Sequels

I have always loved books that are in a series. I much prefer them than stand alone books. I think the reason for this is that a series is able to expand on the characters, peel away at their layers so there is more of an understanding of who they are and why they have made the decisions they have. I also am a fan of the cliffhanger and the anticipation of the next story to expand on the characters and events of the last story. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have several per-order books at a time in my Amazon.com book cart. Sometimes, I think I am still a kid at Christmas with all the anticipation and excitement I have over the next book in the series. It could be frightening to one who doesn't share that same thrill. I guess I can compare it to having a favorite television series and being left at the end of the season with a cliffhanger and the fate of the characters up in the air and then having to wait months for the new season to begin to find out the fate of the storyline. Yes, I know it may sound silly, but when a writer has created great characters in a setting that can be absorbed by the reader, then they have done their job well, and the reader is hooked until that story is played out. Call me crazy, but I love a great series. 

Below I have listed each book in the CHRONICLES OF VLADIMIR TOD series by Heather Brewer. There are five books in the series with each getting better with the writing and the twists and turn of events. The final book ends with a bang and all the loose ends are tied up and we come to grips with the remaining characters and the conclusion to the story line. This was a great series and I would recommend it to any and all who enjoy series books and books with great characters. 

 CHRONICLES OF VLADIMIR TOD

 

 Eighth Grade Bites #1

Bibliography:

Brewer, H. (2008). Eighth Grade Bites. New York: Scholastic

Vlad is fourteen and lives in Bathory with his Aunt Nelly. His best friend is Henry and they enjoy video games and hanging out.  Vlad's English teacher disappears and the substitute is a man named Mt. Otis who seems to know things about Vlad that a stranger wouldn't. After doing some searching through his old burned house, where his parents died five years ago, Vlad discovers his father's journal in the attic. As he is reading the journal, Vlad is able to slowly piece together events from the night his parents died - or as he finds out - murdered. Vlad and Henry are are now drawn into a vampire society, a place called Elysia, and people more powerful that they could ever imagine.

 

Ninth Grade Slays #2

Bibliography:

Brewer, H. (2009). Ninth Grade Slays. New York: Scholastic

 Vlad begins a new year at school that is starting out just as bad as the previous year. He is hiding his truth about being a vampire from everyone except his best friend Henry and his Aunt Nelly, he is still being bullied and he still has a thing for Meredith. Otis takes Vlad on a trip to Siberia where they meet up with Vikas who helps Vlad learn more about his abilities. During this time, he learns of the myth of the Pravus and wonders if he could be the vampire from the prophecy. Upon arrival home, Vald has to add another thing to his list of complications to his life - he is being hunted by a vampire slayer.

 Tenth Grade Bleeds #3 

Bibliography:

Brewer, H. (2010). Tenth Grade Bleeds. New York: Scholastic

 Vlad is worried when Otis who has been off on his own adventure seems to be not responding to his communication. Henry has also stated that he would like to be released from his duties as Vlad's drudge. Vlad's changing, he is growing into a young man and with that brings many questions and uncertainty. Henry is also growing and with that he has more to say for standing up for himself and searching for independence from Vlad. Eddie Poe is following Vlad around trying to get a good photo of him to expose his secret to the school and Joss is the slayer trying to kill him. D'Ablo is trying to discover a way to steal his powers. Vlad couldn't imagine his life getting any more difficult - but as usual, it has.

Eleventh  Grade Burns #4

Bibliography:

Brewer, H. (2010). Eleventh  Grade Burns. New York: Scholastic

 Uncle Otis is staying in Bathory this year, so Vlad thought things would settle down. The Elysian Council is trying Uncle Otis for crimes against vampires, but it was because he was saving Vlad from D'Ablo and Vlad is terrified that he is going to loose his uncle. Uncle Otis is teaching at the high school, which is good, but Joss, who tried to kill him last year is moving back to Bathory. Vlad discovers that D'Ablo has secured a seat on the Council of Elders, which can only bring difficulties. The walls are closing in on Vlad and he will have to use all the skills he has been taught to get through this next set of events and if he does, there will have to be a final showdown at some point in the future.


 

Twelfth Grade Kills #5 

Bibliography:

Brewer, H. (2011). Twelfth Grade Kills. New York: Scholastic

The Elysian Council had given Vlad only weeks to live and that's only if his friends and the Slayer Society doesn't kill him first.  This is the final countdown. Vlad must deal with the Pravus prophecy and enslaving Vampirekind and the human race. Oh, and his dad may be alive after all these years. The Council wants Vald to turn over his father to them, but is he still alive, and if so, where has he been this whole time? The ultimate fight between Vlad and the Council and the Slayer Society will leave Bathory a mess, with enemies that have made agreements, friends who have become enemies and death of loved ones. The story is wrapped up well and all the loose ends are put together for the conclusion of this novel and the series. 

Week 14

Graphic Novels and Illustrated Novels

Graphic Novels have not been on my list of favorite genres, but I would have to say that after the books I read for this weeks Module that I have a slight change of heart. Not only were the stories good, but the manner in which the story was presented was fun and kept me engaged. The first two books listed this week are illustrated novels, which is just a different presentation style than the typical boxed version of the graphic novel style. Instead of having drawn pictures, usually framed and several to a page to depict the story, these novels used actual photos of objects that aided in the storytelling. 

In Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf there were actual photos of notes to and fro parents, ticket stubs, bank statements, and so forth that the reader had to read over as part of the story. This was set up similar to a scrapbook and the reader was required to look through all the pieces on each page to get a thorough understanding of what was happening in the story. 

In Countdown, there were photographs of actual events and advertisements of that period in time. These items were placed in between the chapters and provided the reader with emotional reminders of the heightened events during the Cuban missile crisis.

The last two books, Rapunzel's Revenge and Zita the Spacegirl, were what most people consider true graphic novels. Both were in the framed drawing format while depicting their story. Each of these books was good in their own way and the stories were enjoyable while representing the true graphic novel format.

Illustrated Novels:

Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf

Bibliography:
Hale, B. (2011). Middle school is worse than meatloaf. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Ginny is in seventh grade and the year just keeps going down hill. Her She loses out on the leading role in the school play to her ex-best friend. she goes to detention for throwing her frog in science class and she has several lists that she is keeping, including her Big To Do List. It is a fun read and is is totally made up if lists, forms, receipts, newspaper clippings and drawings. It's like reading a novel in a scrapbook format. I would recommend this book because the story is good and realistic, but the format gets the reader more involved than just reading words.

Countdown

Bibliography:

Wiles, D. (2010). Countdown. New York: Scholastic.

This story follows Franny Chapman in 1962 while she is experiencing a stressful time in her life. She lives with her sister, whom people now think may be a communist, her little brother who is obsessed with being an astronaut, her uncle who's mind is slipping away, her mother who is somewhat overwhelmed and her father who is in the military and leaves frequently for missions. On top of all of this there is a new boy across the street and her best friend is distancing herself and at school they are practicing for the bomb that will be dropped at any time due to the missile crisis in Cuba. This story is very interesting because it follows Franny around and demonstrated the life of an eleven year old through this time of national crisis. The book has real pictures from that time period in between chapters and aids the reader in the fear and emotion through this crisis. I would recommend this book because it is a great story filled with lots of real images that provide for a very real depiction of the time.


 Graphic Novels:

Rapunzel's Revenge

Bibliography:
Hale, S. (2008). Rapunzel's Revenge. New York: Bloomsbury.

This is the story of Rapunzel - well a version of the fairy tale that we all know and love. Rapunzel lives with her mother who is evil and when Rapunzel climbs the wall around her castle and sees what is out there, she is punished. She is taken to a tower where a spell  is placed on her and her hair begins to grow extremely quick. As time goes on, Rapunzel starts to braid her hair and and begins to use her braids as whips. Rapunzel eventually frees herself and meets up with Jack who is in  despair because his goose won't lay golden eggs. They pair up together and and return to Rapunzel's castle to find her true mother. This story has a western flavor to it. After Rapunzel leaves her tower she is dressed in jeans and boots and rides a horse with Jack. This gives the story a little difference from the one we've allknown growing up but it provides a little twist and makes the reading fun.

Zita the Spacegirl

Bibliography:
Hatke, B. (2011). Zita the spacegirl. New York: First Second.

Zita and Joseph are walking through a field when they come upon a crates that wasn't there yesterday. In observing the crater, they find a device and push a button to find that a portal has been created. Joseph gets sucked into the portal and Zita must go after him. They are transported to a different world with monsters and magicians. Zita begins her quest to find Joseph and meets some helpful creatures and some not so helpful ones along the way. She finally finds Joseph who the local believe has the power to stop the planet from being destroyed by an asteroid. Zita is able to destroy the asteroid with the device that she found and save Joseph but when they are trying to return home, the device malfunctions and only Joseph is sent back. Zita will have to find another way home.

Week 13

Religion and Religious Issues

The books this week are about characters that have a deep religious relationship. Each of these books discuss the religion that the character is in and how the rules and traditions of those religions have caused difficulties in choosing the right decision. In reading these books, there was not a negative design on any specific religion, but they each showed how religious groups can make bad choices that affect many people. While reflecting on each of these books, there was not a moment when one religion stood out as being bad. Each of these books demonstrated how people can use the religion to do things that are unacceptable and then hide behind the religious beliefs to limit the consequences of those actions. These stories read could be changed to different religious groups and the stories would still apply, because anyone can do things that are wrong and then hide behind their religious beliefs to justify what was done. 

Each of the books listed below were enlightening and I am glad that I read them. The situations in each of these books are not defined by one religious group but are part of society as a whole and the religion part is what makes things complicated.

Protestant Christianity:

Catalyst

Bibliography:
Anderson, L. (2003). Catalyst. New York: Speak Publishing.

Kate is a senior in high school and is the daughter of a preacher She is a runner and very smart and has her future set on attending MIT like her mother. Kate is a perfectionist who manages her family to keep things moving forward. One day their neighbors have a fire and they can't stay in their house, so Kate's father asks them to stay with the family. Kate now has to share her room with a girl she really does not like because she is a troublemaker, Terri and her two year old brother. Kate feels like her life is spiraling out of control since she now can't sleep or have any privacy and she is still waiting for her acceptance letter from MIT. When Kate finally receives her letter, she has been declined entrance and she is devastated by the news. She goes into a depression and begins to isolate herself from her friends. As the neighbors are helping to rebuild Terri's house, Kate begins to help also, reluctantly. One evening, while everyone was on the porch and relaxing after a long hard day,  the power to the house goes out and the group discovers that little Mikey is missing. Terri finds Mikey on the floor with his firetruck and burn marks above the electrical socket. Mikey is dead and Terri reels out of control and Kate finds herself in a strangely unfamiliar situation. Kate tried to help and understand Terri and uncovers the fact that Mikey was her son, not her little brother. The aftershock of the accident brings Kate and Terri closer together and Kate makes a huge decision to postpone college and help Terri rebuild her house.

Evolution, Me and Other Freaks of Nature


Bibliography:
Brande, R.. (2007). Evolution, Me and Other Freaks of Nature. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Mena has been asked to not attend the church she and her family attend. She is the target at school from all of the youth that attend that church and the reader doesn't know why. As the reader witnesses the events of anger and rage towards Mena, it is established that a teen from their school attempted suicide because of harassment from the church youth. Mena was one of those youth. Looking back, Mena discovers that she was part of the reason that a teen tried to kill himself and that realization shocks and angers Mena. While the teen boy was recovering in the hospital, Mena wrote him a letter explaining that she was sorry for her part in the harassment and tried to explain what the other youth's thoughts were. Due to the letter that Mena wrote, several of the families of these youth are getting sued by the boys family, including the preacher, since his daughter was the one who spearheaded the events. Mena now has to deal with what her actions have caused and her parents anger towards her for her actions. When she is paired with Casey for a school project, she begins to see that families outside of her church community function well and have good lives, something she has been told doesn't exist. As she spends more time with Casey and his family, Mena can now begin to reflect on the actions that caused the attempted suicide and her part in it.



Other Religious Groups and Denominations:

Hush

Bibliography:
Chayil, E. (2010). Hush. New York: Walker Publishing.

This is the story of Gittel, who lives in Brooklyn and is part of the Chassidim sect of the Jewish religion which has very strict rules of how to live. Gittel witnesses an appalling act that goes against everything that her religion believes in and causes her to question her beliefs and the people around her. Devory, hung herself in Gittel's bathroom because she could no longer handle her situation  As she grows older, Gittel is overwhelmed with guilt over what she saw happen to her best friend and her inability to help her and her suicide. Her community has forced her to keep silent about the situation and she is now getting married and will be an adult. After Gittel gets married, the past comes to haunt her even more as she tries to deal with  the physical relationship she must now have with her husband. Her family wants her to forget the past, her husband doesn't understand and the religious leaders tell her that rape within the community is something that happens frequently but is not discussed. Gittel has to find a way to gain peace because she is haunted by Devory and must let her finally have peace.

Deliver us from Normal

Bibliography:

Klise, K. (2005). Deliver us from Normal. New York: Scholastic. 

Charles Harrisong is a typical sixth  grader who feels that he and his family are incredible un-normal while they live in a town called NORMAL, Illinois. For his sanity, he keeps a list of things that make his family un-normal which he then  breaks down into sub genres. Charles has a sister who is running for class president and a very mean prank causes his family to pick up and move from Normal, Ohio in the middle of the night and head to Florida where they are going to buy a houseboat. This idea is so utterly not his family, but what Charles begins to understand is that even though his family does things that he can't understand, even though this trip provides more instances fro him to add to his list of things about his un-normal family, this trip and working on the houseboat brings them all together and provides a better understanding of what is right and what the power of staying together as a family can become.

Week 12

Fantasy

This week the books that are listed to read are form the fantasy genre. A fantasy novel would be a book that is believable in the context of the story but where magic is involved. These stories have a well established setting and characters that are true to themselves. So, basically, the story is believable with solid characters that are trying to do the right thing with elements that are not normal. The three books that I read this week all have a well established setting; all have characters that are trying to do the right thing and make their situation right; and all have elements outside of the main characters that they have to overcome to conquer their situation.

This genre is fun to read and isn't hard for the reader to imagine the story ad stetting since the characters are so true. It isn't a stretch of the mind for the reader to imagine what is taking place in the story in a fantasy novel. For a good read and a fun story with really good characters, pick one of the following stories and enjoy your new world.

I am number four

Bibliography:
Lore, P. (2010). I am number four. New York: Harper Collins.

John comes from the planet Lorian, which has been destroyed. He and nine others escaped but are being sought out by the Mogadorians, who have already killed three og the other survivors. John is number four and tired if running. He has made Paradise, Ohio his new home, where he has friends and a girlfriend who do not know about his situation. As his seekers are getting closer to finding him. his memories start to return and he remembers the destruction of his family and planet. John decides to tell his new friends about his situation and finds that they are all willing to help him even of it means they will die.

A World Without Heroes

Bibliography:
Mull, B. (2011). A world without heroes. New York: Aladdin.

Jason is a normal kid with a normal life until he falls through a tunnel that takes him to another world, a dangerous world that is controlled by Surroth. He does not fit in there and he is desperate to find his way back home. He discovers that he is a Beyonder, or a person that comes the this world from beyond and that there have been others in the past like him. Jason must find six syllables that make up an ancient word that will defeat Surroth and enable him to return home. He comes across Rachel who has just come from another world and together they face the danger and the villains who are trying to stop their quest in search of the ancient word and their means to go home.

The Grimm Legacy

Bibliography:
Shulman, P. (2011). The Grimm Legacy. New York: Puffin.

Elizabeth is recommended for a job at the New York Circulating Materials Repository by one of her teachers. As Elizabeth begins her job, she finds that there are some strange people working there and strange people coming in to check out some strange materials.  She soon finds that her new place of employment is not a library per say, it is a place where things can be checked out and borrowed. She soon finds that there is a section that is called the Grimm collection which is where items form the famous Grimm brothers are housed - items that are filled with magic. When things start to disappear and magical items are returned without any magic left, Elizabeth and her friends begin a quest to find out what is happening to the famous Grimm collection items. 

Week 11

Dystopian / Post Apocalyptic Novels

Dystopian books are fictional societies that are incredibly flawed. They can take place in the past, present or future, but in all cases, the society has a major problem. Dystopian books often reflect the fear and anxieties and the reader will find that what they fear will happen often does.

Post Apocolyptic novels are concerned with the end of the world or civilization due to a catastrophic event and then living in that society after surviving the event. The stories often deal with the impact of the losses of the characters, the changes in their day to day world and the world overall. The stories often reveal the characters psychological state after the event and how those that are affected will survive and move forward. 

These two types of novels are similar in that they are both regarding a major problem in society that forces change. The characters have to decide how they are going to handle that change and what they need to do to survive in their new environment.

Some of these stories can seem rather depressing in that the story has to do with a catastrophic event or a flawed society. What is positive about these novels is that the characters must decide what is important to them and if they will conform to the new societal changes or if they will venture out and try to make changes on their own or with others who have the same goal.

Wither

Bibliography:  DeStefano, L. (2011). Wither. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Rhine is sixteen and is part of a world that has genetically created the children of this society. It is all good though because most diseases have been erased, the one down fall - women will live until twenty and men will live until twenty-five. There are no exceptions. Rhine's world is brutal, he parents have died and she and her twin brother are trying to survive by being invisible and hiding in their family home so that the outside world will not know they are there. Rhine has to be careful because girls are kidnapped and sold to be brides at a very early age, so that they can bear children before it is time for them to die. Rhine gets picked up and is sold to be one of the wives of Linden Ashby who is wealthy and lives like royalty. There, she and two other girls - the sister wives - have to deal with being sequestered from the world. Rhine wants to, she is ready to escape at the first chance she gets. She begins to  bond with her sister wives and gets to know her husband who she feels sorry for, and she has a special connection with Gabriel, a servant. Rhine must decide if she can risk leaving her sister wives, Gabriel and Linden to find her twin brother and be free. I really liked this book because of the strong characters and the vivid writing of the situations. I found myself rooting for Rose, then Jenna, and now Rhine and Gabriel. I would recommend this book.

Divergent

Bibliography:  Roth, V. (2011).  Divergent.  New York: Harper Collins.

Beatrice is sixteen and must select which faction she will join and be a part of for the rest of her life. After testing, Beatrice must choose between staying with her family or joining the group that she belongs with, so she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. She must now endure a rigorous and competitive initiation and training period that she quickly discovers she must survive, not just get through.Tris, as she is now known, has a secret that she must keep from everyone if she is to keep safe. She has to decide who her friends are and who her enemies are and she has to sleep with one eye open, since some of the initiates are being eliminated. Will she survive training and initiation? Will she be able to stop the impending trouble between all the factions that has been brewing? This book is filled with adventure, relationships, finding out about ones self and trust and I would highly recommend this book.

Unwind

Bibliography: 

Shusterman, N. (2007). Unwind. New York: Simon and Shuster Books for Young Readers.

Connor is sixteen and just found out that his parents signed for him to be unwound. He leaves home thinking he has a friend to runaway with, but she will not leave her family. Risa is an orphan who has lived her life in a home for unwanted kids. Due to budget cuts, she is being sent to be unwound. Lev has known his whole life, since he has been tithed, that he will be unwound. The three of them end up together and have to fight to keep themselves from being found. After ending up in a high school, the kids  are sent by Hannah, a teacher, to see Sonia. She takes them in and hides them in her basement with some other unwinds and they wait to be smuggled to a safe house.  They meet up with other kids and are transported in crates on an airplane to a site in Arizona that houses old, retired planes - called the graveyard. There they encounter the General who is in charge of about 400 kids, all of whom are trying not to be found. They have created somewhat of a society there and find jobs to keep them busy. Some trouble begins with a group of the kids trying to rebel and the general seeks out Connor to help be eyes and ears for him. Trouble begins and the guy who pilots the helicopter is killed and the General has a heart attack. While trying to get help for the General, Connor, Risa and Roland get caught by the Juvey Police and are sent to an unwind facility. There they meet up with Lev, whom they haven't seen in a while. Roland gets sent to be unwound and Connor is next. When Lev finds out, he causes a distraction and is able to rescue Connor from the unwound room. In the rubble, they find Risa who has been paralyzed from the waist down. Connor wakes up in the hospital with his arm gone and Roland's arm in its place. He knows, from the shark tattoo on the forearm. Risa chooses not to have her spine fixed  from parts from an unwound. Lev is arrested for causing the explosion and is being kept at the police station. His older brother says that he can live with him, since his parents won't take him back home. Risa and Connor go back to the graveyard to help keep the kids there safe, while they plan to make a little bit of trouble here and there.

Week 10

Steampunk and Other Blended Genres

This week we have talked about Steampunk and several sub-genres. Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and denotes fictional works set in the era or world where steam power is still widely used, usually the 19th century and often the Victorian era. Steampunk can also contain alternate history for technologies including analog computers, or digital mechanical computers. So basically, Steampunk is set in the Victorian Era but includes some type of gadget, possibly computerized, to the storyline. Magical Realism books, in which magical elements are blended into the real world. Urban Fantasy in which a the setting can be futuristic, modern or historical but is set in a city with supernatural elements.

Steampunk:

Incarceron

Bibliography:
Fisher, C (2010). Incarceron.  New York: Dial Books.

Claudia is about to be married off to a prince and they will rule over the kingdom together. The problem is that Claudia is in love with Finn, the prince's brother who was killed when he was younger. As the daughter of the Warden, Claudia is well aware of Incarceron, which as she and the world have been lead to believe is a prison to keep undesirables out of their kingdom. When she starts searching for her fathers secret, she learns that Incarceron is not what everyone has been lead to believe. She finds the key to enter Incarceron and in the mean time a young man named Finn is on the inside with a key to get to the outside. When Finn and Claudia finally meet up, they have a difficult time putting the pieces together and understanding the deception that their parents have presented to the world. Together they work to make it known that Finn, the boy in line for the kingdom is not dead at all, he has been in Incarceron.

Sapphique

Bibliography:
Fisher, C (2010). Sapphique.  New York: Dial Books.

Now that Finn is out of Incarceron and has taken his rightful place in the kingdom, he is now on a quest to get his friends out of Incarceron. Finn is having difficulties in acclimating to the outside world since he has spent almost half his life living and struggling to survive in Incarceron. Finn goes back in to find his friends and Claudia finds out from her father that she is not the true daughter of the Warden, she was a child from Incarceron that they took and raised. With many questions and trying to find their true place in whichever world, both e Finn and Claudia must choose where they want to be.



Other Blended Genres:

White Cat

Bibliography:
Black, H. (2010). White Cat. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers. Like most folks, his family has been a part of this world for many generations. The problem is that Cassel doesn't believe he has a gift like the rest of his family. At school, Cassel finds himself on the roof of the school, hanging on and crying out for help. He has no idea how he got there or why he would even be there, in his underwear. Come to find out, he may have been sleepwalking and that is how he ended up on the roof. His journey to discover why he is suddenly sleepwalking leads him to discover things about his family that he may have wished to avoid while learning that he has a gift and his brothers have been using him and his gift and then erasing his memory of the events. How much trouble is Cassel in? Will he be able to get out of it? Will his friends at school Sam and Daneca be able to help him and stay safe along the way? Casle has many answers to find and he is on a mission to find the truth. This is the first book in the Curse Workers trilogy.

Red Glove

Bibliography:Black, H. (2011). Red Glove. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

In book two of the Curse Worker trilogy, Cassel finds himself trying to figure out what his brothers are up to . The FBI comes to Cassel and informs him that his brother Phillip is dead and they want his help with the case. They provide him with the case file to review in hopes that he will be able to tell them who Phillips killer was and who killed a group of workers before that. As Cassel reviews the file and discovers one hidden by Phillip, he finds that he was the one who killed the workers, but not Phillip, so he is now looking for two killers. The video that the FBI shows him was of a red gloved woman entering Phillips house on the day he was killed. At least he knows he is looking for a woman. With the help of Sam and Daneca, Cassel weaves a plot to keep him out of trouble while protecting what is left of his family.

Week 9

Angles, Demons and Dead People

(Especially Girls)

The discussion this week is about our thought on angels and demons and why we believe that so many of the lead characters are female in these stories. I am a firm believer in angels and to believe that there are entities that are pure good, then I also have to believe in demons which are the opposite of good - evil. If we were to say that they are only angels and they are here to do good things, I would have to counter with why would we need them to help us with their goodness. Now if there are demons around causing chaos amongst us, then I can definitely say that angels and their goodness would be a welcome sight to aid us to gain back the balance of the world.

As far as female characters, I believe that females think more on this subject of good versus evil than boys do. That would make sense since most of the lead characters are girls. Girls also want a little possible love and seeing the good in all people, so the stories are catering to those needs right now. Not all of these books are about female characters, but the female perspective of these characters provides us with a more in depth view of the characters and the dilemmas that they face.  I think that most girls really want the good guys (gals) to win in the long run. Below are several listings of really good books that you might want to try. Then you can come up with your own take on angels and demons and read a few great stories to help you ponder.

Angels and Demons:

Hush, Hush

Bibliography:
Fitzpatrick, B. (2009). Hush, hush. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Nora is a good student and is striving to get into a good college. Her best friend Vee, is a little on the wild side and together they balance out well and have some fun. One day, a new student is paired with Nora, his name is Patch and there is an aura of mystery surrounding him. Nora is not sure if she should be afraid of him,but she is definitely attracted to him.  When they are given an assignment to find out about each other, Nora finds that Patch knows all sorts of things about her. She know absolutely nothing about him and so she jumps right in to figure out what she can find out about his past. Things start happening around Nora that are dangerous and she has a feeling that they are connected to Patch. She is determined to find out what his story is and why he knows so much about her.

Cresendo

Bibliography:
Fitzpatrick, B. (2010). Cresendo. New York: Simon & Schuster.

This is the second book in the Hush, Hush series. With Patch giving her the cold shoulder, Nora is somewhat attracted to an old family friend - Scott. He has a major attitude and Nora feels that he is hiding something and this intrigues her. Nora has also been seeing images of her dead father. All these things combined make for an explosive situation. Nora is determined to fins out what happened to her father and to find answers to all the questions no one will answer and this put Nora in danger. Nora has to decide if risking her life is worth the answers that she may or may not find.


Dead People (especially girls):

Hereafter

Bibliography:Hudson, T. (2011). Hereafter. New York: Harper Collins.

Amelia keeps having the same dream over and over of being in water and not being able to get out. She can't figure out why she keeps having this dream when in fact, she is dead. Amelia keeps reliving the events of her death and doesn't know how to make it stop or how to move on. Then she meets Joshua whom she rescues when him from drowning in the river. Joshua sees her and and can hear her, which is something that no one else can do. Joshua tries to help Amelia discover why she is in this situation and find answers to her questions. The only problem is, Amelia has a a spirit who is trying to claim her for his dark deeds. Joshua and Amelia work together to thwart Eli's plan to gain more followers as they grow closer to each other along the way.

Hold Me Closer, Necromaner

Bibliography:

McBride, L. (2010). Hold me closer, necromancer. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Sam is just an average guy who works at a fast food restaurant. After playing behind the restaurant on a break and denting a car, Sam's life takes a drastic turn. He meets a man named Douglas who is a necromancer and then he finds out that Douglas has killed his best friend Brooke, but left her head which is able to speak as if she were alive. Together with Ramon, the three try to figure out why Douglas is after Sam and what they can do to stop him.

Week 8

Vampire and Beyond

(Werewolves, Zombies, Mermaids, etc.)

This week we are reading some pretty interesting books about vampires, zombies, mermaids, werewolves and other strange creatures. Each of the listed books below were fun reads and had great stories to share with the reader.This type of  books are based on mythological or folkloric beings and a story has been created around them.  I personally enjoyed each of these books and would recommend them to anyone interested in these areas or anyone wanting to try a books from one of these areas. I found them to be very well written stories along with great characters with a passionate story that develops into a great adventure. I could relate with the characters even though I don't know that I can relate to their specific creature characteristics.

VAMPIRES:

First Kill

Bibliography:
Brewer, H. (2011). First Kill. New York: Dial Books.

Joss wakes up one night and hears his little sister crying. As he moves to her bedroom and opens her door, he finds someone standing over her and she is bleeding from her neck. The intruder approaches Joss and tells him that he wasn't suppose to see this and that he is to "forget".  Cecile died from the attacked that night and Joss can't remember anything about the intruder. His family mourns and he has now become as invisible at home as he has always been at school. At the funeral, Abraham, Joss' uncle, tells Joss that a vampire killed Cecile and that Joss can avenge her death. His parents send his for the summer to Abraham where he begins training as a slayer - one who hunts and kills vampires. Joss is determined to avenge his little sisters death, but he is not an adult yet and the training may kill him. As Joss trains he is befriended and his trust is betrayed. Now with more anger, Joss is inducted into the Slayer Society and he accepts an independent assignment from a man he just met. Joss will have to find a vampire that is living in the small town where his cousin Henry lives.

 WEREWOLVES:

Nightshade

Bibliography:
Cremer, A. (2010).  Nightshade. New York: Philomel Books.

Calla is an alpha wolf and she has been trained her whole life to be a great alpha wolf. She is to be mated with Ren and they will be the alphas of a new pack. Their job is to protect sacred sites for the Keepers. One day while in the forest Calls comes across a boy named Shay who is hurt and will die if she doesn't save him. She decides to break every rule that she has been taught and she saves him. Shay keeps turning up and Calla has to make sure that her wolf friends don't find out that she saved him. He makes her feel things that she has never felt before and he makes her question how she has been raised and her planned future with Ren. She begins to question if what she has known all along is really the truth or just a version of a story so that the wolves can be used for some demented master plan. Calla must decide who to believe and who she can trust.

 

Wolfsbane

Bibliography:
Cremer, A. (2011).  Wolfsbane. New York: Philomel Books.

In the second book in the Nightshade series, Calla awakes in her enemies camp - The Searchers. She is given the opportunity to help them take down her former masters and save her pack in the meantime. The Searchers give Shay and Calla information, filling in some of the blanks that they have and providing new information about the masters and their plan and all of the history that has been taught that has been altered. Calla must decide if the Searchers are telling her the truth and everything she has ever know about he history is a lie or if they are feeding her information so she will help with their mission - to kill off the wolves. With Shay by her side, she decides that she has to trust the Searchers and they take her back to save her pack that has been captured and tortured. In the process she finds that Ren has also been captured and tortured and she has to decide if she can save them all. This is a high paced books and it moves fast. If you are a werewolf fan, this series will keep you filled with the tortured past, the past loves, new loves and trying to find happiness and will fill you with need to want more.

 ZOMBIES:

 Zombies and Unicorns

Bibliography:

 Back, H. & Larbalestier, J. ( 2010). Zombies and Unicorns. New York:  McElderry Books.

This book is an anthology of stories about unicorns and zombies. Holly Black head Team Unicorn which includes stories by the following authors: Meg Cabot, Kathleen Duey, Margo Lanagan, Garth Nix, Naomi Novik and Dana Peterfreund. Team Zombie is lead by Justine Larbalestier and includes Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Maureen Johnson, Carrie Ryan and Scott Westerfeld. The book begins with an explanation of why either zombie stories or unicorn stories are the best and why Holly Black and ad Justine Larbalestier decided to create this book. The stories alternate between a unicorn story and then a zombie story with comments from Holly and Justine. The stories are really fun and since they are short, this makes for an easy, enjoyable read. It is great to see a story either about  unicorns or zombies from each of these great authors. I would recommended this book, even if you aren't really into unicorns or zombies.

MERMAIDS AND OTHER CREATURES:

 The Monstrumologist

Bibliography: 

Yancey, R. (2010). The Munstrumologist.  New York: Simon & Schuster.

Will Henry is twelve and is the apprentice to Dr.Peilimore Warthrop, who studies monsters. Will Henry is use to seeing unusual things with the Dr.'s studies. When a grave robber shows up in the middle of the night with something to show the doctor, Will Henry is drawn to the conclusion that there are strange things living amongst them. He stays by the doctor's side as they journey to discover how these creatures came to be in this area, who knew about them, and why they are here. The answers they find bring this situation close to home for Dr. Warthrop. Throughout this frightening journey, Will Henry is learning about himself and others around him and he discovers that he is loyal to the doctor who has taken care of him and a special bond between them is recognized by both Will Henry and Dr. Warthrop.

The Curse of the Wendigo

Bibliography:
Yancey, R. (2010). The curse of the Wendigo.  New York: Simon & Schuster.

In the second book of The Monstumologist series Will Henry finds himself along the side of Dr. Warthrop as they search the Canadian wilderness for a missing friend and fellow monstrumologist. The reader is provides with a history of Dr. Warthrop and John Chanler and what brought them together and their friendship. After a long and eventful journey, Chanler if found and they are able to bring him to safety - for now.  Pellinore Warthrop and Will Henry travel to New York for a monstumologist annual meeting. While there, the reader is given another dear friend from the past to learn more about Dr. Warthrop. While in New York, strange events begin to happen after their friend John Chanler disappears and the group of monstumologists are off on another adventure of horror with a mysterious creature.

Week 7

Books in Verse

Each book in this weeks list was written in verse, which in my opinion, made the reading smooth and easy while feeling the poetry run through the story. I enjoy these types of books because I find that the words are almost melodic and I can read through them  with easy and I seem to absorb the feeling and meaning to the story. I know that others find that they are hard to get into and that they can be somewhat less of a story because of the format. This again, points to the fact that there is a style out there for everyone and everyone doesn't have to like every style. So, it's ok if books in verse are not your favorite style. Try it though, because you may find that you like it. 

After the Kiss

Bibliography:
McVoy, T.E. (2011).  After the kiss. New York: Simon & Shuster.

Camille moves to a new town and isn't happy with being moved -again - because of her fathers job. She misses home and a boy she left behind and just wants to get through school. At a party she is kissed by a boy named Alec, and it changes everything. Becca has a boyfriend she is totally into. He is perfect for her and she spends every minute she can with him. She believes they are perfect until at a party, she sees him kiss another girl - his name is Alec.  The lives of each of these characters in this triangle will change after the kiss. Camille is confused and Becca is hurt and angry. The story alternated between the characters so the reader is able to discover each characters reflection of who they were up until the party and then where they will go with this new direction that has been handed to each of them. It is a journey of discovering themselves and the reader is pulled in as the characters discover themselves. The reader will root for both girls as they assimilate the feeling and discovery of their journey and see the similarities of both characters. This is a book about not only the kiss and romance, but of self discovery.

All the Broken Pieces

Bibliography:

Burg, A. E. (2009). All the broken pieces. New York: Scholastic.

Matt Pin came from Vietnam where his mother gave him up to soldiers to save his life while his village was being ravaged by war. He is in the United States and has been adopted by a great family. Matt is haunted by his real mother and the brother that he left behind. His American parents love him and support him, but he is having difficulties fitting in. He tries out for baseball and is chosen to be part of the team. There Matt discovers a coach who understands what he must be going through and works to help the rest of the team be less judgmental. Matt is taken to a Veterans group where he meets Veterans, some disabled and most emotionally scarred by the war. After hearing their stories and eventually sharing his own, there is some peace and understanding that develops amongst the group. I would recommend this book.

 Crank

Bibliography:
Hopkins, E. (2004). Crank. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

After Kristina spends some time visiting her father (drug addict), she returns home pregnant and addicted to meth. Kristina cleans up for her baby's sake but after the birth, the "monster" starts to call her back. This story takes you on the turbulent road of Kristina and her journey with drug addiction. She has a great mother and step father, she has a baby, but the story demonstrates the power of the drug. She makes poor choices,  believes she can control her addiction and even gets herself into some dangerous situations. The story is believable and sad and I would hope would frighten anyone who hasn't messed with the monster, which is what I believe the book is intended to do with this powerful story. This story demonstrated that once addicted, a person will say and do ANYTHING to get what they need, whether they have to steal from their family, or others, lie, or give "favors" to get what they need. This is a sad, eye-opening story that everyone should read.

Glimpse

Bibliography:

Williams, C. L. (2010). Glimpse. New York: Simon & Shuster.

Lizzie and Hope are sisters only a year apart in age and the best of friends.  Lizzie was older and always looked out for Hope but Hope always looked out for Lizzie too. After awhile, Lizzie began to change, she cried at night and became withdrawn and distant and is frightened Hope. When Hope found Lizzie with a shotgun, Lizzie was taken to a hospital to get some help and to find out why she is so sad. Hope visits with her mother and finds that there is a secret between them. When their mother is around, Lizzie seems unresponsive and when Hope is alone she responds. The Doctor asks Hope if there is something she knows that could help them with Lizzie and Hope has no idea. He tells her that she has a diary and that it may have the secret in it. Her mother tears the house apart trying to find the diary, but Hope knows where it is. She gets the diary and heads to the river to read it. Hope finds the most horrific information there about what her mother does to Lizzie. Her mother hunts her down when she finds out that she has the diary, but Hope contacts the doctor from Lizzie's hospital and tells him what it says. Their mother takes off and Lizzie can now get the help that she needs to get her life back on track and Hope can get help also. This is a great book and I would recommend it.

  

Week 6

GLBT

Books read for this week were on the topic of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender characters. I would have to say that I had not read many books on this topic before this week, but I found these books incredibly enlightening. Each of these books discussed an issue that I have not experienced personally, so it opened my eyes to  something new - which is always good. I have a new appreciation for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons. Life is such a struggle anyway, but to experience the cruelty and hatred that some of these characters went through is truly saddening and wrong. I have heightened my belief that we should all be allowed to be who we are and that nobody has the right to judge anyone as being wrong in their identity. I do not believe that anyone has the right to judge another, especially if you have never walked in their shoes. Enlighten yourself and learn about some experiences that are having to be endured. I suggest to everyone that they read some books in this topic area - consider it a broadening of your mind. Go into each book with an open mind and I bet you are touched in some form or fashion. 

 

Breaking Boxes

Bibliography:

 Jenkins, A. (1997). Breaking boxes. New York: Delacort Press.

Charlie lives with his older brother Trent, who happens to be gay. Charlie doesn't have many friends and one day gets into a fight at school with a guy named Brandon. They both end up having three days if in school suspension and by the time they finish their suspension, Charlie and Brandon end up talking to each other and discovering that they actually like each other. The two start spending time together, with Brandon coming over to hang out at the apartment with Charlie and Trent. Brandon really likes Trent because he is older and smart, but does not harp like a parent. When Brandon finds out the Trent is gay, he is angry and doesn't want to have anything to do with Charlie. Charlie is angry and sad, that Brandon doesn't understand and has chosen to overlook all the qualities he liked in Trent and is obsessed with the fact that he is gay. A situation a while later, leaves Brandon coming to Charlies rescue at the end and they have an understanding about what has happened and how it was handled. 

 Whistle Me Home

Bibliography:
Wersba, B. (1997). Whistle me home.  New York: Henry Holt and Company LLC.

Noli is a tomboy and her best friend since kindergarten is Tracy. Tracy is very pretty and wears new clothes that ate girly that she gets from the big city and Noli wears jeans, a t-shirt and a baseball cap. In September of their junior year in high school, a new student comes to their school and he is as gorgeous as a god. All the girls are immediately  in love with him and come to fins out, he is really smart and loves poetry. Noli is amazed one day when TJ talks to her and asks her to hang out. He could be with any of the pretty girls, but he chose her. They start spending time together, eventually Noli introduces him to her parents, which is huge, since Noli doesn't get along with them at all. As she gets to know him, she finds out that he was in some trouble back at his old school and that he doesn't drink, smoke, or do drugs anymore. He get on to Noli about her mild drinking and sh blows him off, thinking he can't really tell. The relationship begins to build, but Noli realizes that he isn't like what she thought most guys would be like. He isn't all over her and looking for sex. He is very gentle and kind and kisses her and hugs her, but that's about it. Well, Noli has fallen for him totally and she has decided to give herself to him- totally. Her parents go out of town,s o they have the house to themselves but when the time comes, he says he can't and Noli asks him if he is gay. He says yes. Noli feels betrayed by TJ because she is in love with him and he won't be with her in that way. He leaves and over the next few weeks, Noli begins drinking heavily to dull her pain and confusion. She has to go to AA meetings or she will be expelled from school, since she has come to school intoxicated several times and there she meets teens that understand her. She slowly makes some friends and they help her see that drinking is not helping anything. Noli has time to reflect and begin to make amends with her mother  but Noli has to decide what she wants to do about TJ, who has been leaving her notes and letting her know that he still loves her. She must decide to stay with him, which is what her heart wants, or to break free, which is what she knows she has to do if she ever wants to move on.

 Say the Word

Bibliography:
 Garsee, J. ( 2009). Say the word. New York: Bloomsbury.

Shawna is seventeen and lives with her dad. Her mother left when she was seven to go live with Fran and they have their own family together. After Shawna's mother dies with no current will, her father takes everything from Fran - the house, the art gallery, and even her son, who Shawna finds out is actually her brother. Her father gains custody of her brother and forces him to live in their home. Shawna really likes her brother but knows her is miserable and is contemplating suicide. Shawna has to decide how to handle this situation since her father doesn't believe there is a problem and she has seen the signs of her brothers downward spiral. She must confront her father about what he did to her mother all those years ago to make her leave and what he is doing now to create the perfect family by forcing her brother to come live with them and keeping him from his other brother and Fran. She finds out who she is and what she is willing to do to make things right for her little brother and for Fran. Great book, I highly recommend.

 I am J


Bibliography:
 Beam, C. (2011). I am J. New York: Hatchett Book Group.

J who is technically a girl, but considers himself a boy, must deal with the bullying and constant confrontation by peers about the way he dresses and how he acts. J has decided that he was suppose to be a boy, but was born a girl and he now wants to make the change that will make him physically look like a boy to match with how he feels on the inside. His mother wants to help but can't accept this idea and his father thinks that he needs to get over it. J's mother sends him to stay at his b est friends house for a while where he begins to make some needed changes in his life and goes to a new school for gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender kids. Along with school is counseling where J finds there are others who have gone through this same situation and he gains confidence and is supported in his decision to begin taking testosterone to make the masculine changes in his body. J finds out that his mother has lied to his father and that she is the one who can't accept him for what he is and his father has been left out of all the information. J tries to make things work with his parents, but finds that his new friends are actually his new family - supporting and nonjudgmental.
I would highly recommend this book. 

Week 5

Alternating Narrators

Each of these novels this week was written with more than one narrative. This writing style allows the reader to view the situation at hand from several different perspectives, therefore gaining more of an understanding of the impact of the event. I enjoy this type of book because it opens the story up for a more in-depth look at the whole situation which involves more than on person and one point of view. It also allows the reader to absorb the interaction of more than one character and how that the characters affect each other from each characters perspective. It is fun for me to share in the sarcasm between characters when they share their moment with the reader and then the other shares comments about the others last entry. This writing style also allows the reader to share how the characters feel about what the other just wrote in the last entry. The emotions of how they are affected by whatever is happening. This presents the reader with a wider view of the situation and shares a larger range of what is really happening around the characters that has put them in the situation they are in.

If you have not read this type of novel, I would recommend it. It may be strange at first, but I believe that if you give it a try, you may find that you have found a writing style that you really enjoy. If you don't like it, then that's ok, because there are other books out there for you to enjoy!  There are many different writing styles and genres for many different types of reader !!

 The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June

Bibliography:

Benway, R. (2010). The extraordinary secrets of April, May, and June. New York: Razorbill Publishing.

After their parents divorce, April, May and June find that they have special abilities.April, the oldest, discovers that she has visions of the future.May, the middle child, has the ability to become invisible and June, The youngest, is able to hear other people's thoughts. As they start the year at a new school, their new, untamed abilities cause all kinds of conflicts for themselves and others. The girls will need to learn how to handle their gifts but until they master that, there will be chaos. The girls get themselves into all kinds of trouble while trying to decipher the information that they are acquiring. The book is written with each of the sisters writing a chapter, so the focus changes from perspectives to tell this humorous, adventure of siblings who have special abilities, along with the normal teen age issues.

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

Bibliography:

Cohn, R. and Levithan, D. (2010). Dash and Lily's book of dares. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

It's Christmas time in New York and Dash is in a bookstore looking around and killing time. He comes across a read notebook on top of books on the bookshelf and inside is a clue to begin a quest.  Answering the questions takes someone who is familiar with literature of various genres and Dash finds each of the books that he has been lead to. He responds in the red notebook and the verbal journey begins with notebook communication between the two. They find that they communicate well with one another in words, but what about in reality? Will they like each other if they meet? Will the expectations that they each have be dashed by reality? Will they be able to communicate by talking as well as they can by writing? Dash and Lily answer each others messages and find the notebook after it has been strategically hidden by the other. Are they destined to meet or will they continue to play this correspondence seek and find game indefinitely?

The Other Side of Dark

Bibliography:

Smith, S. (2010). The other side of dark. New York: Simon & Schuster.

One of the books I read this week was The Other Side of Dark by Sarah Smith. Katie, who's mother just died, is now drawing what she sees - ghosts. When a mansion  is about to be demolished, Law realizes that Katie has more insight than she should about the history of the mansion. Law's father is an African American history professor and his mother is an architect who is white. Law feels the strain of his racial identity as he learns about himself, the present and the past. Law and Katie have to deal with the struggles of family and finding their own identity and values while dealing with the current issue of the mansion and its history.

The story goes back and forth between Law and Katie's perspective and does a great job in relating each of the characters thoughts and feelings as well as providing a great deal of historical information to the plot. Law, who's father has ties back to the mansion with his family as slaves is struggling to understand the anger he has. Katie's father dies when she was a baby and her mother was killed last year, is struggling to survive. She is an artist with great potential but her drawings have become disturbing since her mother's death. Katie has been drawing people at the time of their death and the ghosts are then attracted to her. Law and Katie help themselves and each other as they make this common journey in saving this mansion.

I enjoyed this book because the author provided a rich historical aspect to the story along with two conflicted teens who need support and friendship to help them get past their overwhelming issues. I would definitely recommend this book.

Week 4

Gritty and Edgy YA Realistic Fiction

Realistic fiction involves stories that are not necessarily pretty. Some of the issues can be dark including, rape, eating disorders, suicide, cutting, drugs, pregnancy, bullying, abuse, crime, runaways, murder, death, and alcohol abuse. These topics are real and a young adult may find them relevant to their life and the lives of their friends. Many of these books are on the banned book list because they deal with hard topics and they usually include some graphic situations and bad language depicting the characters in these situations. Just because a book has bad language, doesn't mean that the book is bad. If real people in these situations speak in that manner, then it should be portrayed that way in a book; it represents a real event.

The story lines are somewhat tough and if a character is cutting themselves, then there might be graphic descriptions of the event to portray to the reader the seriousness and the reality of being in that situation. An for all those who are ready to jump on the banned book wagon, I say this. If you have not read the book, from front cover to back, then you have no business even talking about banning the book. You have to read it first, all the way through, and then you can have an honest discussion about what bothers you about it. Another thing, just because it bothers you, doesn't mean it shouldn't be read by others. You have the power to read what you want and what you don't want. You can decide that for your kids, if you feel you must, but you WILL NOT decide that for everyone else. That is my right, to have the freedom to read what I want and you can't take that right away from me - or from anyone else (except, again, maybe your own kids).

As much as some may argue that these books will make kids want to go out and cut themselves, or have sex, or drinks and do drugs, there is nothing to prove that. There are hundreds of letter that are sent to authors of these books that thank them for sharing these stories; to inform them of what a friend was going through or to keep them from making that decision or just to say thanks for sharing that event with me because I had no idea.

So, the best thing, in my opinion, is to let kids read these books, but then be there for them to talk about these events, to assimilate the information so that it becomes a positive experience and a foundation of information to draw from. Know what your kids are reading, ask questions: what stuck with them? have their friends had these problems, what about them? These are the things you should be discussing with your kids. These are teachable moments where you, as a parent, can have a profound effect on your kids - take advantage of it.

This weeks' topic was filled with books that were emotional on every level. The three books I read had to do with eating disorders, suicide and crime and each on had a profound effect on me. I can definitely say that I would highly recommended all three of these books because they get right at the core of each of these topics. They are not pretty and the endings are not wrapped with a bow. For anyone wanting to know what a teenager is experiencing in any of these areas, these books will provide them with the thought process and rationalization that takes place in the mind of a young adult.

Wintergirls

Bibliography:

Anderson, L. H. (2009). Wintergirls. New York: Viking.

Lia  and Cassie have been best friends since they were nine. They had a falling out several months ago and haven't spoken since. Now, Callie is dead and she called Lia 33 times the night she died, which Lia never answered. What did she want? Lia begins to see Callie and her control over her weight begins to tighten. Lia explores her relationship with Callie and her introduction to purging, not eating, cheating weigh-ins, and cutting in search of being accepted. Lia embarks on an emotional journey to find out how Callie died and how far she will go with her weight issues. Callie is calling her - telling her they'll be together soon and Lia is looking forward to that. Callie tells her that she is not living, only in the land of the living and she is not dead either. As her not eating, purging and cutting get totally out of control and her family is at a loss as to how to help her, Lia must make one last decision - will she stay int he land of the living, or will she move to be will Callie and the dead.

Thirteen Reasons Why

Bibliography:

Asher, J. (2007). Thirteen reasons why. New York: Penguin Group.

Hannah has had enough of life. There is not one particular incident that gets her to this point, but a series of events that gets her here.After committing suicide, those that played a role in having a effect on her outcome are delivered a box of cassette tapes with 13 sides of voice - Hannah's voice.  There are thirteen stories, thirteen people are being named and the event that made an impact is being described for each of the named to listen to to understand the whole story. The reason Hannah made the tapes is to show the weaving of events with many different people involved that got her to the point of making her decision to let go and move on. The story is written as Clay receives and listens to the tapes and discovers the events and connections made to present him with the whole story of Hannah's plight. Clay was the only one who didn't do something to negatively affect her and the reader sees the story unfold from Clay's point of view and goes on an emotional journey to understand and accept.

Accomplice

Bibliography:Corrigan, E.  (2010). Accomplice. New York: Scholastic Press.

Finn and Chloe have been best friends sine they were nine. Now they are in high school listening to the guidance counselor tell them that the ordinary things will not get you into an ivy league college, something special has to make you stand out above all the rest to get chosen. Chloe and Finn devise a kidnapping plot where Chloe, the pretty and smart one would be kidnapped and Finn, the homely, smart one would be the grieving best friend. It was suppose to be easy, with no one getting hurt and it would make them both  famous and that would certainly put them both on the top of the college application stacks. When CNN shows up there story become a national  news event. They never envisioned their families would be hurt, how their friends would be effected, that anyone would be charged with the crime and how, in fact, they would deal with this after the fact. As this simple plan plays out, things begin to go wrong, people are hurting, friends are seriously affected, someone is arrested for the crime and the toll it is taking on them is reaching a volatile level. Their easy plan is not so innocent anymore.