My Life in…

This wasn’t really my kind of book but I could see why people would like it. I only read it for our Mock Printz awards. I found that it went on too long and the pettiness of the girls was shocking. I couldn’t believe how easily people believed their accusations. If you like novels in verse and historical fiction, this is a good one, but if not, don’t bother.

This is an ugly examination of bullying and mean girl cliques in high schools. This seems to be an extreme case, though I have no doubt things like this happen in high school. The depths that these girls are willing to go to be popular is really sickening. I thought Summers did a great job of making Regina a sympathetic character while not excusing her for her terrible actions in the past. This is definitely worth reading.

This book was fun and lighthearted. I’m not super fond of the cover, but the characters are amusing. I liked the chemistry between Eliza and Cooper and even though the ending is pretty much telegraphed from the beginning, it was an enjoyable ride.

This was an intense and unique book. I had kind of given up on boarding school novels, but I really enjoyed the characters in this. I was also impressed by the Mockingbirds, with their highly regulated and structured form of vigilante justice. Your heart breaks for Alex, but at the same time, you appreciate her growth throughout the novel. Loved her friends and sister as well. This is another book I want to put on my summer reading list for high school girls.

This book is a step up from Magoon’s acclaimed The Rock and the River. The characters are well developed and the writing is gorgeous. The characters occasionally sound wiser than their age, but these are sweet, thoughtful kids who are delightful to read about. It’s wonderful to see a story featuring African-American kids, in which race is not the primary plotline.

Reviewed from ARC provided by Simon and Schuster

This book is fabulous. Everyone is giving it positive reviews on the blogs and Twitter and it is well deserved. Anna is likable; her situation is both unique and universal. Perkins creates an interesting cast of characters around Anna, and each friend is taken from a name to a well developed character by the end of the book, which is sometimes difficult to do with a large ensemble. The romance is well paced and well drawn and you believe all of the characters’ actions even when you’re cringing and yelling at them to do to the right thing. Every teenage girl looking for a great romance should be handed this book.