My Life in…

The whole setup for this story is a bit ridiculous (though I hear the DUFF is a term actually used in some high schools) but the characters have such crackling chemistry that even though Wesley is a total jerk, you do sort of root for him. Bianca is funny and smart, and I enjoyed her relationship with her friends and family even though she is reluctant to actually have a connection with them. I really liked Casey and thought she felt like a really authentic friend. I read this at lunch at work and was dying to get home so I could finish it.

Reviewed from ARC received from Little, Brown at Book Expo

I love Julia Alvarez, and the Tia Lola stories are just sweet, funny stories that middle grade students will love. This is a quick, easy read, peppered with Spanish words and a lot of heart.

I received an ARC of this book from Random House at ALA Annual and Julia Alvarez signed it for me!

I was pleasantly surprised by this one (particularly that it’s written in prose rather than diary format). I have not read the Sex and the City book but as a huge fan of the series, it seemed very true to character that Carrie would have gone through these experiences as a teenager. I’m not really sure that teens will find this book interesting unless they are fans of the tv show, however, since the plot isn’t all that interesting. If you preexistingly care about Carrie, you will love hearing about where her interest in journalism came from and how she developed her love of fashion, her feminist beliefs, and her relationships with boys.

I picked this one up because the Kirkus Review recommended it for fans of Sarah Dessen and Deb Caletti (who also blurbed the book) and was not disappointed. There’s some nice well-developed romance in this one but it’s more about the journey - both physical and emotional. I thought both Amy and Roger were great characters, along with a few other people that I can’t mention for fear of spoiling it. I didn’t care for the NJ joke, but after recently visiting San Francisco, I could appreciate the In and Out Burger comments. This book reminds me of 20 Boy Summer in the fact that it’s smart, and sweet, and sad, and just really strong.

This was a fun, if farfetched book. I enjoyed that this combined the humor of the first book with a stronger plot than the episodic prequel. Even if Carter still says idiotic things (what he says to Abby is the first of many shining examples), he’s starting to grow up ever so slightly and I do hope there’s a third book since his perspective is so amusing.

The description of this book makes it seem kind of bad, but I really enjoyed this one. The overarching plot of the hate letters is a bit overdone and seems rather farfetched for the average high school, but what I liked was how Alice handled the situation. In this book, Alice is less passive than usual. Pamela, Elizabeth and Gwen play a smaller role, and this is about how Alice deals with this serious threat both as a friend and as a journalist. I’m not sure I loved the conclusion of that storyline as it seemed almost too accepting, but I enjoyed Alice taking a stand for once. I REALLY can’t wait for the next one.

This is a really odd book. The characters are definitely not something you see often in ya lit. I liked Strasnick’s debut Nothing Like You and this one has the same unique flavor to it. This book doesn’t have easy answers for its characters. I enjoyed Adina tremendously; she’s anorexic and drunk and so cutting, but I can see why Alex would want to try to have a friendship with her, despite all her faults, and why she’d never let that happen.

Reviewed from ARC received from Simon and Schuster

I don’t think the characters in this book are quite as successful as in Sister Wife, but this is another effective treatment of life in an unthinkable situation for a teen girl. Kyra is smart and funny and you really root for her. The ending is shocking and really well handled.

This is a reprint of a 1970 book, which was the first gay teen book ever published. I can’t say that I loved it, as it’s a bit too literary for my taste (it really doesn’t read like a teen book at all) and Davy clearly has a personality disorder, with how withdrawn and lacking in social skills he is, but I can see how significant this was when it was first published.

Reviewed from ARC received from Flux at Bookexpo

This is another cute book from Don Calame. Some of the girl issues in this book feel a bit reminiscent of Swim the Fly but it’s another funny story that teen boys would love.

Reviewed from ARC received from Candlewick at BookExpo