Again Again by e. lockhart

 

Adelade Buchwald had a very close relationship with her younger brother Toby, until their family is ripped apart by Toby's drug addiction. Her mother must stay in a separate city to support Toby in rehab, while Adelade and her father move in to the boarding school where her father teaches English. Despite the sadness over her brother's addiction and family separation, she develops a deep love for Mikey LL, trying to hide from him these feelings. The story starts with her emotional wreckage after Mikey breaks up with her when he leaves for Puerto Rico for the summer. She takes on a summer job walking dogs belonging to several of her school's teachers. On one of her walks she meets Jack, whom she adulates over and develops a new love. The love is made difficult by the hurt from Mikey's breakup and the sadness from her family.

Adelade Buchwald loves to be in love, but love for Adelade is elusive. In Again Again, we see how her relationships play out in different ways. Perhaps each version reveals how a situation exists in multiple universes, or  perhaps, we see how multiple situations play out for Adelade in her mind, before she actually takes action. It sounds complicated, but actually the font changes between what is thought to happen, and what actually happens. The real surprise comes in part IV.

Adelade is a very bright girl, attending a snooty, upper-crust eastern boarding school.  Her issues are very first world, but painful for her none-the-less. The writing is rich, but sometimes breaks into free verse. Its not clear why Lockhart does this...for emphasis? The alternative situations are interesting, especially when you see how the situation eventually plays out. Definitely a high school read, but you could offer it to a mature 8th grader.

Mark's Book Picks Score: 3.5

Reading Level: 5.0  •  Interest Level: 7-12 • AR Points: NA  •  Lexile Level: HL680L •  Publisher: Random House • Pages: 288 • Copyright: 2020 • ISBN: 978-0-385-74480-5 • Available in Perma-Bound Binding 6/15/21

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak

Matthew Dunbar is pecking away on an old Remington typewriter to tell the story of his brother Clay. The story comes out as jumbled memories, with no time continuity, that ultimately goes beyond his brother Clay and becomes a sweeping saga of the Dunbar Family. There are five Dunbar boys, Matthew, the narrator, Rory, Henry, Clay, and Tommy. The boys live by themselves in a house on Archer Street. Their father, who abandoned them, is thought of as The Murderer, because the boys feel he took their lives when he left.  He suddenly reappears, and is greeted with hurt and anger. Their father lives several hours away in the country, and has come back to ask his boys to help him construct a bridge. All his sons refuse, except one, the one that said "Hi, Dad." That one is Clay. Clay leaves his brothers, with much resentment on their part, to help his father build a bridge. A bridge that ultimately becomes a metaphor for the bridge that brings the Dunbar family back together. The story beautifully unfolds revealing the back stories of their father, Michael, their mother Penny, and of Clay. This is a story of warmth, love, family and extreme grief.

I will not lie, this is a difficult book. The story jumps time and place; there is no continuity. Parts drag on with horse racing details that add little to the story's progression. Yet it's a story that is so poetic, told with such love, that I couldn't help but embrace it and read with tears often streaming. I well up just writing about it. This book will be with me for a very long time.

Bridge of Clay  is really an adult book. While marketed as YA in the U.S., it is considered adult elsewhere. For mature high school readers and beyond. The story's value is in the way these five brothers hold together, overcome their hardships and grief, and how the strength of family provides a bond that can't be broken.
Mark's Book Picks Score: 5

Reading Level: 5.3 • Interest Level: 9-12 • AR Points: 19 • Lexile: HL650L 
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf • 537 Pages • Copyright: 2018 • ISBN: 978-1-9848301-5-9 • Available in Perma-Bound binding.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

You may be wondering, this is an adult book. Why is it here?  Well, I was doing a long-term subbing stint for a friend who teaches middle school English. In walks a student, a 7th grader who is an avid reader, with A Man Called Ove in hand. As I started to questioned her, she said. "MR.B! YOU MUST READ THIS!" And so I did.

Ove is a man who is very set in his ways, stubborn, and inflexible. He gets angry when his routine is broken. Early on, we discover he is trying to commit suicide. The love of his life, his wife Sonja, has passed away and he no longer feels that life is worth living. The ensuing chapters switch between interruptions that either prevent his suicide attempts, or disrupt his daily routine, and flashbacks that help us to understand his love for his wife, and why he is the man that he is. I don't like to give away too much; this book will make you laugh, make you cry, make you angry, make you overjoyed, and most of all will endear you to a man called Ove. Following is a passage, that moved me, and I found instantly relatable to my own life:

"Loving someone is like moving into a house. At first you fall in love with all the new things, amazed every morning that all this belongs to you, as if fearing that someone would suddenly come rushing in through the door to explain that a terrible mistake had been made, you weren’t actually supposed to live in a wonderful place like this. Then over the years the walls become weathered, the wood splinters here and there, and you start to love that house not so much because of all its perfection, but rather for its imperfections. You get to know all the nooks and crannies. How to avoid getting the key caught in the lock when it’s cold outside. Which of the floorboards flex slightly when one steps on them or exactly how to open the wardrobe doors without them creaking. These are the little secrets that make it your home.”

Mark's Book Picks Rating: 5

Reading Level: 6.1 • Interest Level: 9+ • Lexile Level: 870L • AR Points: 15
Publisher: Simon & Schuster • ISBN: 1-476-73802-5 • Available in Perma-Bound binding

Noggin by Corey Whaley

Imagine waking up from a five year sleep, finding your head on a different body, and realizing that what was a fleeting moment in time to you, the people you knew have moved on and changed...

Sixteen year old Travis Coates has been battling cancer but through a supportive family, good friends and a loving girl friend he has been able to emotionally pull through. Now, the cancer is ravaging his body, and he will die. Learning that a new medical technology is being explored that will allow the transplantation of human heads, he applies and is accepted. He will have his head severed from the diseased body, and cryogenically frozen until the technology is ready, and the right donor comes along.

Fast forward five years, Travis Coates wakes up with a new body. He is now a nationwide celebrity...known as "the head kid." Adjustment isn't easy. His girlfriend, Cate, is now 21, and engaged to be married. His best friend Kyle is in college, all his clothes and belongings are gone, and the worst part is, is that he must go to high school as a sophomore. All of these situations will create challenges for Travis, some of which he can stand up to, but others will prove to be difficult.

When I first read the inside flap of the dust cover. I laughed with hilarity, thinking that this was the most ridiculous premise for a book. I had no intention in reading it. I then heard that the book was a finalist for the National Book Award. I read the reviews, and decided to give it a try. What I found was a book that explores the emotional and physical ramifications of what this procedure could bring. It is done with sensitivity and good writing. As I was finishing, news reports were coming out, discussing this very issue!

While not a fantastic read, its very good, and certainly worth your time. For more mature readers, containing some strong language.
Reed Reads Score: 4

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The first wave...the world is being infiltrated by an alien life form in a most heinous way...by entering the fetus of an unborn child. The opening chapter provides the background for the eventual removal of the human race. The story begins in Dayton Ohio, where the fourth wave of the alien take over is a massive viral epidemic that has killed most people. The Sullivan's have lost their mother to the virus, but some how Cassie, her 5 year old brother Sammy, and their father have survived. With most of their town decimated, the Sullivan's decide it is time to move on. Distrust is rampant, and the family must learn to protect itself. They find some protection in a small group of remaining survivors, but the group is visited by what they think is the US military, and are coerced to release all the young children, including Sammy. The remaining group is then decimated but Cassie escapes and is now alone. She can now trust no one, must protect herself, and rescue her little brother. The story unfolds as told from several perspectives; primarily from Cassie, Ben Parish, Cassie's high school crush, and Evan Walker, an alien, who's relationship with Cassie is questionable and filled with mistrust.

If you have read my other reviews, you know that I'm a fan of dystopian novels - but not this one. The writing is just okay, but I couldn't help but constantly feel that I was being manipulated by something extremely commercial, attempting to be the next Hunger Games. Rather than writing a story that the author needed to tell, this seems more a case of creating a story that will pull together elements that will sell books, become a movie, and make the author tons of money. Many of you will enjoy this, but I have to give this one a score of two for being so commercial and manipulative.
Reed Reads Score: 2

Cress by Marissa Meyer

First Cinderella (Cinder), then Little Red Riding Hood (Scarlet), and now enters Rupunzel as Cress in the third entry of the sci-fi thriller series, The Lunar Chronicles. In this third entry, Cress is a love struck, powerless lunar (called a shell), who has been banished to a satellite orbiting high above earth to spy for the evil Queen Levana. Her computer hacking skills have allowed her in on every aspect of human culture especially the Cinder, Prince Kai, and Queen Levana scandal that has her head-over-heels for the handsome Captain Thorne, who helped Cinder escape from prison. When Cress has the opportunity to leave the isolation of the satellite, to join forces with Cinder, Thorne, Scarlet, and Wolf, she sets in motion a series of events that will create havoc in Cinder's quest as rightful heir to the lunar throne. Battles, romance and unexpected plot twists will have you turning the pages quickly.

What I enjoy most about this series is how well each book is crafted and what it brings to the development of the plot. In the typical series, the first book is excellent, but those that follow fill in, with the last book often bringing an unsatisfying conclusion. Meyer, in her Lunar Chronicles, has made each book unique in the way it carries the story, and is excellent on its own. This is outstanding science fiction, and has appeal for all genders and ages. There are plenty of hints of what lies ahead in the fourth and final book, Winter (Snow White) in 2015!

Reed Reads Score: 4.5

Every Day by David Levithan

'A' has learned to live with life the way it is. Waking up every day in a different teenager's body. Sometimes a guy, sometimes a girl. Sometimes a narcissistic jock, sometimes a soul in such pain, they are close to suicide. 'A' has created rules, so that whatever happens while visiting, nothing will influence or drastically change the host's life. We start on day number 5,994 when 'A' is now Justin, a jock who is abusive to his girlfriend Rhiannon. 'A' decides to make this day different, taking Rhiannon on a romantic picnic where 'A' falls in love with her. How can 'A' maintain a relationship with Rhiannon if 'A' is a different person everyday? How can 'A' maintain the set of rules created to prevent problems? How could this possibly resolve itself?

David Levithan has taken an original premise and with thoughtful, finely crafted writing created a story that goes well beyond the romance. With 'A' being neither male or female, gay or straight, black or white, the character provides an unbiased platform to discover life as we all live it. Levithan has created a variety of characters that are real, varied, and sensitively drawn. Each becomes a short story tied together by the love of Rhiannon. Some are light hearted and some will tug at your heart. Some are short and simple, some more detailed. But, all will provide a lesson, or at least provide insight into how different people live their lives. This read is for more mature readers as the illuminating writing would be lost on those not ready and there are some mild sexual references.
Reed Reads Score: 5

Champion by Marie Lu

Book three of the Legend Trilogy. this review of Champion has some spoilers, so if you haven't read book two, Prodigy, stop reading now!
After the failure of the assassination plot to kill the new Elector, Anden, Day is now even more beloved by the republic and provided a high level military assignment. June has integrated back into the politics of the nation, by serving as  a nominee for the Princeps position. On the brink of a peace treaty with the Colonies, negotiations fall apart when the Colonies claim that the Republic has intentionally infected them with a plague. The Colonies have joined forces with Africa, and are breathing down the neck of the Republic, demanding a cure or face attack. The Republic needs to use Day's brother, Eden, to find a cure, but Day will not allow it. Anden brings a team to the technology rich Antarctica to appeal for their help in resisting a combined attack from the Colonies and Africa. Intertwined is the relationship between Day, June, and Anden. While the ending is satisfying with some surprises, for me, this was the least satisfying book of the trilogy. The writing at some points became trite for me. The voice given to Day became less believable for me. The narrative that internalizes June's love for Day, and Day's for June was a distraction. I enjoyed the sections that were science-fiction in nature, especially the sections taking place in the technologically superior Antarctica.
Reed Reads Score: 3

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

Remy Starr knows exactly what she wants.  She has her mind set on Stanford in the fall and is ready for her next summer fling with whom ever follows her strict rules of boy material.  But when Dexter, a musician, crash-lands into her life she is finding that not all the rules apply, he just isn’t adding up.  So why can’t she bring herself to break up with him?  She knows better than anyone that this shouldn’t last.  In Dessen’s unconventional romance she once again brings a character driven novel to life.  Her smart, quick, and witty writing will have you turning pages till dawn.

Reed Reads Score:  5

Prodigy by Marie Lu

Prodigy, book two in Marie Lu's Legend Series, is unusual in that it is not only a very solid middle book of a series, but it actually soars beyond the first book, Legend. Day and June are wanted criminals in the Republic. Day is a poor street runner that is defiant against the Republic for the death of his family, and their taking of his little brother Eden. June is an aristocratic prodigy, who's allegiance to the Republic is shattered when she discovers that they murdered her brother for which Day was framed. Together they are an unstoppable force that are recruited by the Patriots, an underground militia whose goal is to bring revolution to the Republic. Day is torn between the street girl he grew up with, Tess, and June. June is torn between Anden, the Republic's young new leader and Day. The romantic tension gets tangled in an assassination plot that Day and June must carry out. The romance and action are intense and interwoven in a way that will make lovers of either genre satisfied. Even more interesting to me is the social commentary that Lu subtly draws between the Republic and the Colonies, warring factions created when the United States was divided. This is a very satisfying read, full of action, surprises and plot twists.
Reed Reads Score: 4.5

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Tally Youngblood can't wait until she turns sixteen, when she can finally get out of her 'Uglyville' dorm and get over to 'New Pretty Town', where everyone has an operation that makes them a Pretty.  She'll be stunning, she'll reunite with her best-friend Paris, and she'll have tons of fun!  But when she meets Shay, a soon to be Pretty herself, she isn't so sure anymore.  Shay wants nothing to do with becoming a Pretty, she wants to leave their "perfect" society and escape to a far off village called the Smoke where no one becomes Pretty.  When Shay leaves and Tally is left alone questioning the means of the operation, she is pulled away by a group of government scientists, called Specials.  They blackmail Tally into going out into the unknown to find Shay. Another escaped citizen is a sign that a rebellion is closer.  Tally embarks on a long journey where she finds herself and realizes not everything is what it seems.

In this thrilling dystopian trilogy Westerfeld transforms a classic Twilight Zone episode into a full on adventure.  He takes the ideas and concepts of the episode and makes it original and complete.  Everything from the characters to the plots were unique and as the story builds you start to question our own society.  This smart and relatable novel brings so many new elements to the way you see the world and Westerfeld will have you squirming the whole way through. 

Reed Reads Score: 3.5

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

A wonderful story of deception, love, and magic.
The once alluring, powerful nation of Ravka has now been split by a dangerous lake, The Shadow Fold. The Shadow Fold lurks with carnivorous monsters, darkness beyond imagination, and fear. The kingdom is full of people who possess magical powers, who try to keep the path safe, but it's still considered suicide to pass through.
When Alina Starkov, a girl orphaned by the Border Wars, is discovered to possess magical powers that could close the Shadow Fold, a mysterious figure known as The Darkling takes her on as his student, ripping her from her only friend, Mal. Alina believes she's being trained to save her country, to close the Shadow Fold, but who is The Darkling? Can she trust him?
I found Shadow and Bone to be a good way to pass the time, but a bit too cliche. You could easily predict what would happen next and the writing didn't delve into the personality of Alina nearly enough for me. Still,  it did make me gasp, smile, and shiver with fright.
Reed Reads Score: 3.5

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

It is 126 years after the fourth world war. Countries of the world have become somewhat settled, and in New Beijing (old Beijing destroyed in the war), the Eastern Commonwealth is ruled by Monarchy. People travel by hovercraft, menial work is done by androids, and humans can now have their lives extended by becoming cyborg. Sounds like a perfect setting for Cinderella. Right. Cinderella? Well...author Marissa Meyer may have used the fairy tale as a loose framework for this sci-fi adventure, but once well into the story most recognizable similarities dissipate, as the quick moving plot draws you in.

Cinder is a 16 year old cyborg, who has no memory of where she came from, and whose adoptive father has just passed away. Left with her step-mother and step-sisters, she feels out of place, as her interest is in fixing androids, or any other machine, and has no interest in trying on frilly dresses for the upcoming ball. The current monarchy is unstable as the Emperor is mortally ill with a plague for which there is no cure. Cinder is in disbelief when the Emperor's son, Prince Kai, visits her stall in the marketplace, requesting that she repair his broken android. Cinder is accompanied by her step-sister Peony on a trip to the junk yard looking for spare parts, when Peony suddenly shows symptoms of the plague, and after Cinder's call for help, is taken away by med-droids to be placed in isolation. Cinder's step-mother blames Cinder for what has happened, and as her caretaker, volunteers her for plague research, and as a guinea pig, means certain death. From here the story takes off, as her experience will reveal parts of her past, special powers she possesses, and relationships between the Monarchy and Lunars, a human sub-race that inhabits our moon.

At first, I was skeptical, but quickly became wrapped up in this science-fiction, adventure. With much foreshadowing, symbolism, and parallels to today's society, there is a lot to ponder and discuss. This is the first book of Meyer's series The Lunar Chronicles, the second book, Scarlet, due out next year.
Reed Reads Score: 4

Matched by Ally Condie

Society provides all with a beautiful and worry-free life. What you eat, what you wear, what you do, who you marry, and when you die are all pre-determined for you. Cassia has much to look forward to. Her "matching" ceremony has revealed that she will marry Xander, her life-long friend. Cassia is ecstatic about her match...until she sees a different face revealed on the screen for only an instant, that of Ky Markham. While she loves Xander as a friend, her feelings about Ky grow until she and Ky recognize their love for each other. Cassia now grows to distrust and hate the Society that she once believed in.

The situation of a dystopian future, and a strong female protagonist torn between two likable young men, is reminiscent of the Hunger Games Trilogy. With the emphasis more on the romance aspects, Matched will have a wider appeal to a female audience. While I didn't love the book, it held my interest enough to want to go on to the second book, Crossed. The third, and final book, Reached, is to be published November 2013.
Reed Reads Score: 3.5

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

A book about teenagers with cancer...not a very happy premise, but one you will want to read.  Hazel, a sixteen year old terminal cancer patient is forced by her mother to go to a support group meeting. One of the members, nearly blind Isaac, brings a friend, Augustus to a meeting. Hazel and Augustus discover each other, a friendship and romance ensues, and you can imagine the rest. The book doesn't disappoint. It will meet your expectations. But that is NOT why you should (or should not) decide to read this book.
Why should you read this book?  It is quite simply, beautifully written. Read this because John Green takes a plot that anyone can mostly predict, and makes it soar with language.  Read it and appreciate a well told story with rich, witty, and intelligent characters that you will relate to on many levels. Read it because it tackles many of life's questions. Read it because the book is so finely crafted, that even if its nuances are missed, it will be loved.
A good companion novel, is Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Francisco Stork. For mature readers because of mild sex and some strong language.
Reed Reads Score: 5

Underdogs by Markus Zusak

Underdogs is a trilogy of Zusak's first three novels; The Underdog, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, and Getting the Girl. I read Fighting Ruben Wolfe first, whose review is below. The three books have so successfully been blended in my mind that I can't differentiate them, so this review covers all three. This is a story about seventeen-year-old Cameron Wolfe, an insecure, seemingly lost soul that beautifully emerges and finds himself. He lives in the shadow of his oldest brother Steve and older brother Ruben. Steve is a perfectionist that seems to have it all together; looks, athleticism, and a great job. Ruben is a fighter, both literally and figuratively, with strapping good looks that always gets the girls. Cameron has a deep affection for his brothers as well as for his sister Sarah, and his parents, for whom he also has tremendous respect. Living in a blue collar, working neighborhood, Cameron and Ruben are looked upon as slackers. Their reality is one of fighting for respect, and finding their way. Told in the first person by Cameron, Zusak's writing style emerges. While not as quite developed as his later novels, the poetic, short sentences that bring out the deep emotions and angst of a seventeen year old boy, bring depth to the novels. The book is for more mature readers who will appreciate these character driven stories.
Reed Reads Score: 4

She's So Dead to Us by Kieran Scott

Ally Ryan, an athletically gifted 15 year old, has moved back to her hometown after a year's absence. Originally part of the rich elite, called the "Cresties", she is now a "Norm" and hated by her former friends. Her father, an investment banker, who lost his own as well as the fortunes of Ally's friends, moved Ally and her mother out of their mansion and then abandon them. Ally and her mom move back, now living in a condo. Allie visits her old house where she discovers a gorgeous jock, Jake, living in her old room. The chemistry between them is immediate, but strained, because his group of friends are those that hate Ally. Told in alternating voices between Ally and Jake, the story and romance between them is one of the difficulties of being a teen and standing up to or succumbing to peer pressure. While not my favorite genre, the book is readable, and some of the pranks Ally's friends pull are downright cruel. The ending is a cliffhanger, ensuring a sequel. For mature readers because of strong language that is part of typical teen dialogue.
Reed Reads Score: 3.5

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

I read Twilight this summer, reluctantly,  under pressure from my daughters. Needless to say, I did enjoy the book. Twilight is so wildly popular, and with the movie coming out this month, I didn't feel the need to review it, but then guilt set in and so here it is. Twilight is the story of Bella, a bright and independent girl who moves to gloomy Forks, Washingtion to live with her dad. In school, she meets Edward, whose perfection brings her to her feet. Falling rapturously in love, she soon knows something is different here - Edward is a vampire who lusts for her blood. Edward is  just as enraptured with Bella, and the fact that she is the one girl that he can't look into her mind. Their romance creates the collision of vampire and mortal worlds. 

While Bella's musings over the gorgeous Edward became a bit tedious for me, there were some real moments of excitement here. While this book's appeal has been mostly to a female audience, some of the guys could get hooked into the vampire fantasy and the adventure that ensues. This is the first of a series of four books. Be sure to read Eclipse, New Moon and Breaking Dawn.

Reed Reads Score: 4

Flavor of the Week by Tucker Shaw

Cyril is a high school senior, an outstanding chef, overweight, and madly in love with Rose. Rose sees Cyril as a good friend. Cyril's best friend Nick meets and falls for Rose. Nick asks Cyril to prepare a romantic meal for Rose. Here the Cyrano de Bergerac like charade begins as Rose falls head over heels for Nick, believing he is a sensitive guy that can cook and be romantic. Can you tell where this is going? The most interesting part of the book are the recipes at the end of each chapter. I have to try the Kitchen-Sink cookies, and the roasted vegetable sandwich!
Reed Reads Score: 4

The Long Night of Leo and Bree by Ellen Wittlinger

Leo's life changed 4 years ago when his younger sister was brutally murdered. His family is destroyed and his mother becomes psychotic. Leo's mother blames him and beats him. In a sudden loss of sanity, Leo drives around, sees a girl and decides to abduct and murder her. The evening they spend together changes both of their lives. At once, horrifying and touching.
Reed Reads Score: 4