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Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti Here is an author with important things to say. Susane Colasanti has written a book that is meant to speak to teens about the perils of bulliying and what it's like to live in fear of bullies.
Noelle has had a pretty tough life. She is neglected by her mom, lives in perpetual hunger, is mostly unhappy, and lives in a state of poverty no one else at her upscale high school would understand. This makes her different. Different makes her a target for bullies. Fortunately, it's not all bleak for Noelle. She has a best friend who wants to take care of her, a popular boy who seems to like her, and some new doors opening through her work with the school's magazine. Now all she needs is to stand up to the people who are making her life miserable, and it takes a tragic turn of events to get Noelle to fight back. This book is on our Grade 9 Only shelf (there are some references to sex and date rape), but I really do recommend it. The writing style is very strong - I had no problem getting hooked into the story and I have both positive and negative feelings for these characters. I believe the the premise entirely. It is a fast read and never boring, but it is occasionally predictable. Keep Holding On can read a bit like an after school TV special, but it really is good. Some of this story is heartbreaking, some is empowering, and all of it is important.
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Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick I have been trying to read this book for three weeks now. I thought I was just being slow because of my current busy schedule, but guess what? I was slow because it is a terribly disappointing YA paranormal read! I know lots of people really enjoy this series, so instead of making all those readers distrust my reviews, I'm going to direct you to a review that says it all for me. Click on this link for another blogger's review of Hush, Hush: http://www.thebookrat.com/search?q=hush+hush As "The Book Rat" says in her review, "It was self-indulgent, cheesy, melodramatic in the worst sense, and confusing. I wanted to like it; I loved the fallen angel premise, the idea of an anti-hero, and bits and pieces of the writing through out. But Hush, Hush suffered from too many villains and too much shock and awe, and not enough thought and follow-through." Apologies to fans of this series, but it's not good. Not good at all. In honor of Remembrance Day, here is a Goodreads list of Young Adult novels dealing with war. Take a look! There are some amazing novels here.
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2199.YA_Holocaust_WWII_Novels Bad Girls Don't Die by Kati Alender Here is a great and creepy story for middle grade readers.
Alexis is a high school student who doesn't quite fit in. She portrays herself as an anti-cheerleader, pink haired, troubled teen who is living in a dysfunctional family. She lives in an old and (she soon discovers) haunted house where the stove can boil water without being turned on, doors randomly open and close, and evil is in the air. She has a babysitter/child relationship with her 14 year old sister, who often acts younger than her years - so when Kasey begins displaying bizarre and angry behavior, Alexis needs to get to the bottom of it and help her at any cost. Alexis ends up being offered help from two of the most popular kids in school, Carter and Megan, class president and cheerleader pretty girl respectively. There are many things to like about this novel. The characters are easy to relate to, their relationships are interesting and well-rounded and the writing is very descriptive. The story itself is a page turner! It's simple, fairly short and appropriate for virtually all age groups. The romantic portion of the book is more implied than realized, and the violence is not at all graphic. We have all seen or heard stories about a sinister doll before, and this one is a fresh take on the theme. It's not complicated, but it is creepy! There are some continuity problems that I easily overlooked because the book had me so involved (for example, Alexis' love interest pops in and out of the story with explanations that don't really fly. Alexis' friend Megan lives with her Grandma whose function is not fully realized. Alexis' parents are not very involved with the family, but is this the fault of the ghosts? etc). Although I enjoyed this novel, I doubt I will read the other two books that now comprise the trilogy. Bad Girls Don't Die stands well on its own and that's good enough for me. |
AuthorThis book lover's blog is brought to you by the Learning Commons at Vincent Massey School, Calgary. Specifically, Ms. Gammon and various student book reviewers. We want to share our favorite titles with you! Archives
May 2017
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