Goodbye Stranger, by Rebecca Stead

Goodbye Stranger is the third Rebecca Stead novel I've read. I had to read one of her earlier novels, When You Reach Me, during an undergraduate course. I read Liar and Spy a while ago, and loved it, as did several of my students.

Goodbye Stranger is about several different characters and how their stories intertwine, but at the heart of the novel is Bridge Barsamian. Bridge survived a terrible accident in elementary school and was told by her nurse in the hospital that she must have survived for a reason. So, she's hard at work trying to figure out what that reason is. Bridge has two best friends, Emily and Tab, who have been by her side through it all. However, the novel starts when they're in 7th grade and things are changing. Emily has newfound popularity and curves, and is beginning to experiment with more mature things - sending nude pictures, boys, etc. Bridge and Tab aren't quite ready for that yet, and seem a little less "advanced" than their good friend Emily. But, the three of them navigate this uncharted territory together and come out still friends in the end. This was the only mildly unrealistic part of the novel - I don't think most pre-teen friendships would survive under these circumstances. But maybe it will give readers some hope and a model of how things could work out.

I really loved all the different themes, conflicts, motifs, and stories that blended together during the novel. It keeps things interesting and propelled me to keep on reading. I think my students, specifically female students, will enjoy reading this novel.

Also Try: Liar and Spy, by Rebecca Stead; Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, by Jordan Sonnenblick

Saint Anything, by Sarah Dessen

When I was student teaching in an Honors, single-gender girls program, Sarah Dessen was the fan favorite - my students were constantly passing around her novels, looking for similar authors, and talking about her characters and stories. It's been a while, though, since I've read one of her novels, so I was excited to give Saint Anything a try on NetGalley. 

Saint Anything is about high schooler Sydney, who's trying to survive in the aftermath of her older brother's terrible decision. Her brother, Peyton, despite paralyzing another boy in a drunk driving incident, remains perfect in her mother's eyes. Sydney, obviously, feels utterly invisible and neglected. I think a lot of kids can relate to that feeling, of being constantly overshadowed by a sibling, and never feeling like they're "good enough". Sydney switches schools from her private, snooty school, to the local public school, and makes a group of friends who help her navigate through the wake of her family's experiences. At the heart of this group of friends are brother and sister duo Mac and Layla, who have family issues of their own. Their guidance and attitudes help Sydney better understand her own problems and her parents' reactions. 

I think that readers who are already Dessen fans will love this novel. However, I'm not sure that new readers will find it as thrilling. The novel had a more psychological slant to it than some of her other romances, and it just didn't seem to 'move' as much as some of her other novels did. I will still recommend it, though!

Also Try: Anything by Sarah Dessen, Susane Colesanti

Read Between the Lines, by Jo Knowles

I participated (quietly) in Teacher's Write the past few summers, so I'm always excited to read new novels from any of the hosts - Jo Knowles is one of them.

I was certain that I'd love this novel after reading and enjoying Living with Jackie Chan on NetGalley a few summers ago, and I was right!

For readers who like fast-paced action, this isn't really the novel. But, for readers who like a slower-paced novel, more like a character study, this is the book for you! Read Between the Lines really almost read like a mystery. It's told from the points of view of numerous characters who live in the same town - a high school cheerleader, a graduate of the town's high school, that boy's neighbor, a teacher, and others. I found myself throughout the whole novel trying to guess how these various pieces would come together, and was really excited when I figured them out. I couldn't believe how seamlessly Knowles knit together the very different lives of her characters into a cohesive story with a few shared experiences.

A commonality throughout the novel is the middle finger - characters are on both the giving and the receiving end of the finger in nearly every section of the novel, and it has varying degree of emotional context for each character. I didn't realize when I started the novel that that's what the title was about - that's one downside to NetGalley, I didn't see the cover. When you see the cover, you realize that "reading between the lines" in the image would leave the middle finger raised. I thought that was an interesting and current way to link the characters together. It all starts when one of the characters, Nate, breaks his middle finger in P.E. class. The middle finger sightings just increase from there, culminating in the literature teacher's  holding up the "Girl Scout Pledge" to her class, but really telling the students to "read between the lines" as she attempted to gain control of them.

There was some mild language, teenage boys fantasizing about the hot English teacher, and a character who's struggling with his sexuality, but other than that, the novel was pretty tame. I'd recommend it to advanced 8th grade readers and up.

Also Try: Living with Jackie Chan, by Jo Knowles; Fish in a Tree, by Linda Mulally Hunt

Dead to Me, by Mary McCoy

I just finished Dead to Me, by Mary McCoy on Netgalley. It's due to be published on March 3, 2015.

The publisher lists as ages 12+, but I think that's far too young for this book - I would put it more along the lines of 14+ as it includes lots of mature content: drug use, mild pornography, abuse, and lots of language. I'm not sure that I would house this book in my classroom because it would be inappropriate for the majority of my students.

HOWEVER, I did enjoy reading Dead to Me, which follows the story of Alice, a 16 year old growing up in the shadow of Hollywood's glitz and glam. Alice's father has always been involved in showbiz, and she grew up watching her parents try desperately to catapult her older sister, Annie, into the family business. Alice, though, was never quite talented or pretty enough. So it was a huge surprise to Alice when her sister disappeared mysteriously 4 years before the novel's beginning. Alice had kind of given up hopes of finding Annie, until she received a mysterious summons and indication that her sister was hospitalized and had nearly died.

After reuniting with her now-comatose sister, Alice vows to figure out the truth about what happened to Annie. This leads her on a sort of wild-goose chase through the very seediest sections of LA, introducing her to dangerous and untrustworthy characters at every turn. Alice is even introduced to drugs, a mildly pornographic photography ring, and the like. She constantly questions who she can and cannot trust.

In the end, things work out as well as they can. I found myself kind of skimming the last third of the book - it just didn't hold my attention and I knew it wasn't something I'd be recommending to my students.

Also Try: Belle Epoque, by Elizabeth Ross; Strings Attached, by Judy Blundell

Black Out, by Robison Wells

In Black Out, the United States (and the world) are under attack by a mastermind group of terrorists. However, these aren't your ordinary terrorists - they're teenagers, and they're citizens of the U.S. They've become infected with a virus called Erebus, which gives them superhuman strength and ability in a limited area. Band them together, and the things they can accomplish are overwhelming. Unfortunately, some innocent teens are infected with Erebus as well, and the U.S. military begins a mass inspection and quarantine of teens nationwide in an effort to stop the spread of the virus.

Aubrey Parsons is one of the innocent infected - her ability is that she can disappear. Up until now, it's seemed cool because she can steal anything she wants from local stores, but when it lands her a military captive, being trained for active duty, its repercussions become daunting.

Aubrey and her childhood friend soon find themselves caught up with a group of "Lambdas" - that's what they call those infected - who may or may not have the nation's best interests at heart. Will they be able to stop them?

I really liked how the two different facets of the plot were so woven together. There were the "good" Lambdas (Aubrey, Jack) and then the "bad" Lambdas (Laura, Alec, Dan). Their stories intersected in a really interesting way. There was one aspect of the novel that frustrated me, though. There were random posts, they looked like something from a blog or wiki, throughout the novel. They were (seemingly) totally disconnected to the plot and didn't make any sense to me - it really bothered me. But, when I finally figured out what they actually were it made perfect sense and was an awesome idea!! I do feel kind of dumb that I didn't figure it out sooner...maybe I wasn't paying enough attention.


Also Try: Shatter Me, by Tahereh Mafi; Witch and Wizard, by James Patterson; Inhuman, by Kat Falls

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, by Jordan Sonnenblick

It's been a while since a book made me cry - but Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie had me tearing up consistently throughout the book.

The book is about Steven, an average (if not a little awkward) 8th grader. Steven's number one problem in life is his perfect, 8 years-younger brother, Jeffrey. However, Steven gains new appreciation for Jeffrey when his family learns that Jeffrey has leukemia. Steven learns a lot about being a brother, friendship, forgiveness, and himself, while his family faces Jeffrey's stressful, sometimes touch-and-go battle with leukemia.

I loved the way Sonnenblick really captured the mind of an awkward middle-schooler. While he was writing from a boy's perspective, I think a lot of what he said rang true for girls in middle school as well. Here's one of my favorite passages from the book:

"It suddenly struck me that the two worst social situations in middle school - dances and dodgeball - have a lot in common for guys like me. You go to the gym, stand in a corner as far away from the action as possible, and try not to be seen. Your eyes scan the room for threats - either flying projectiles aimed at your head or girls aimed at mortifying you by getting you out on the floor - and you sweat profusely while standing still."

The Heartbreak Messenger, by Alexander Vance

The Heartbreak Messenger is about an average, run-of-the-mill kid named Quentin. Quentin's dad left when he was six years old, and he and his mom have been just barely seeking by ever since.

 Quentin's best friend Rob's older brother one day approaches Quentin with a proposition: he wants to break up with his girlfriend but doesn't want to go through the trouble of having to do it himself.  So, he offers to pay Quentin to make the break for him. Quentin sees this as a lucrative opportunity, and before he knows it, he's running a full-fledged business.

Word spreads about his services, and high schoolers are approaching him constantly. Some of his 'clients' are less than desirable, and Quentin even winds up with a black eye. Before long, much discussion surrounds this mysterious, elusive, "Heartbreak Messenger", and Quentin struggles to keep his identity a secret.

Before long, his other best friend, Abby, has figured out what Quentin's up to, and is none too satisfied with his actions. Will Quentin stop, or is the money too good?

I LOVED this book - it was fast-paced, the characters were lovable, and the premise was so funny. It does have a romantic ending, but I'd recommend it to both boys and girls. It would really appeal to both.

Here's a book trailer from youtube: