Blood Wounds, by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Blood Wounds was such a departure from Pfeffer's other books that I've read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! 

Blood Wounds is all about Willa, the ugly-stepsister type to two princess types. Willa's stepsisters are privileged, poised, and experienced - everything that Willa's not - but they've always considered each other family and gotten along really well. They live harmoniously with Willa's mom and stepfather (the girls' dad) in a nice house, and Willa only gets slightly annoyed that the girls get their every desire from their mother.

However, the idea of this "happy family" comes into question the second Willa starts receiving strange phone calls about a man named Budge. It turns out that "Budge" is Willa's biological father, and that he's wanted for the murder of his wife and three daughters - sisters Willa didn't even know she had. Hearing of her father's new family and difficulties sparks feelings in Willa that she didn't know she had, and leads her to question everything she's known up until this point. 

I loved Willa's character, and I loved the way Pfeffer explored the idea of family and the dynamics of blended families. It was interesting to read the "sisters'" different perceptions of each other and of the way things were in their family.

Also Try: Any book by April Henry; See Jane Run, by Hannah Jayne; If You Find Me, by Emily Murdoch; 

We Were Liars, by e. lockart

After reading e. lockhart's The Disreputable History of Frankie-Landau Banks during my student teaching and witnessing several class periods of girls completely a-twitter about the novel's plot, I was really looking forward to this new release from her.

We Were Liars unfortunately disappointed me. The novel is about Cadence Sinclair, member of a filthy-rich family who vacations together each summer on their own private island. Things are in a state of turmoil for Cady after her parents have divorced and she's experienced a tragic accident that is often alluded to but never quite defined. The novel progresses like it wants to be a psychological thriller, slowly revealing the truth of Cady's unraveling, but it just didn't do very well. The novel as a whole just sort of plodded along, and I had quite a hard time finishing it.

Publication Date: May 13, 2014

45 Pounds (More or Less), by K.A. Barson

Ann is a sixteen year old who's never been cool. In fact, it's worse - she's fat. And to top it all off, she has a mom who's so perfect she looks like a Barbie. Her mom is constantly trying to get her to lose weight, but she doesn't do it in the right way, and it just makes Ann feel depressed and unable to focus on weight loss. That all changes when Ann's aunt announces that she's getting married and wants Ann to be a bridesmaid. Ann's determined to lose the weight once and for all so she can look good in a bridesmaids dress.

I loved Ann's voice in the novel; she really made you feel like you were living her experiences. You could feel the judgements that people make on others that are obese, and the way people blame fat people for their problems. It was pretty obvious.

K.A. Barson also captured high school mean girl culture very astutely. There's a group of girls in Anne's class called "The Knees" - Courtney, Raynee, Tiffany, and Melanie, who seem to want to make everyone's lives miserable.

There was some bad language in the novel, but I'd recommend it to my 8th graders.