"Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life - dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge - he follows.
After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues - and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer Q gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew."
I'm completely on a John Green streak. I'll admit it, I'm addicted. And such a lovely addiction it is. This book was in true John Green fashion, with some poetry here and there and some laugh-out-loud-until-people-give-you-strange-looks moments. I lovedlovedloved it, and especially liked that throughout the whole thing I had honestly no idea where it would go. The characters were stereotypical at first glance, but started to contradict the stereotypes right after you formed them. And as always with his books, the visuals were amazing, dead-on, and perfect for the story. It was amazingly out-there, but injected with just enough reality to make it even more powerful. He's amazing, as are each of his books. So, while YOU go out to Kettleson or MEHS and get this one, I'll be starting Looking for Alaska. See ya!
"Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.
Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.
Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind."
Oh My God. If I could give this six stars, I would. I'm not usually into reading "cancer books," the kinds of books that are sad for the sake of being sad, but this was so much more than that. The characters were really intelligent and interesting, and it made me laugh almost as much as it made me cry. It has some of the best quotes ever in it, ones that'll start to make you re-evaluate what the heck you're doing in the universe.Um, just be warned--don't read the last third of the book: a) before bed or b) without a huge box of tissues nearby. I think I said in an earlier review that I have tear ducts of steel--um, I don't think I can claim that anymore. This literally made me bawl like a baby. Sad, I know, but you try reading it without getting emotional. I think it's pretty much impossible. Anyway, this is definitely getting introduced into my personal collection for good. If I could reach through this computer screen and hand you the book and force you to read it, I would, but I guess I'll have to settle for shameless bribery and threats: any reader will get virtual hugs from me, and anyone who ignores this will have to be blackmailed. Go forth and read, my child. You won't regret it. It's at Kettleson, MEHS, or SHS. Ta-ta!
"The house on Hemlock Road used to be someone's home. Until something happened. Something that even after 80 years, can never be forgotten or forgiven . . . .
Eleven-year-old twins Hannah and Anna agree about everything—especially that they don't want to move to the creepy old house on Hemlock Road. But as soon as they move into the house, the twins start disagreeing for the first time in their lives. In fact, it's almost as though something or someone is trying to drive them apart. While Anna settles in, Hannah can't ignore the strange things that keep happening on Hemlock Road. Why does she sense things that no one else in the family does? Like when the hemlock branch outside waves shush, shush. Or at night, if she listens hard enough, it's almost as though someone is trying to talk to her. Someone no one else can hear. Someone angry enough to want revenge. Hannah, are you listening? Is the house haunted? Is Hannah crazy? Or does something in the house want her as a best friend—forever?"
Okay, sorry to say, in my opinion this book kinda sucked. I think it's meant to be this super-creepy story about a haunted house, but it's not in any way terrifying or emotional. The author tried to make it scary by writing from the point of view of the "spirits" inhabiting the house, but it came across weakly. I didn't feel a single thing while reading it except boredom. Part of the problem is that it doesn't give the characters any depth or explain them at all. It's like their main purpose is to be "the family that moves into a haunted house." The plotlines--even the ones that didn't have to do with the haunting--were recognizably cliché. Not that that's always a terrible thing; I've read plenty of books with clichés in them that managed to make them new and interesting. This one was just subpar. And I don't know, maybe it's just meant for a younger audience with less discriminating taste; I can tell you it's definitely not meant for anyone above middle school. *Sigh*. Anyway, if you...want to get it... it's at Kettleson.
"When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-obsessed best friend riding shotgun--but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which will predict the future of any relationship, avenge dumpees everywhere, and may finally win him the girl."
This is the first book in a long time that I couldn't put down. I read it in the space of approximately 21 hours, and REALLY loved it. It had me laughing aloud pretty much every five minutes. I think it'll appeal especially to the math nerds, though that's definitely not the only type of person who'd like it. I loved every character, and each one was really unique. It mostly takes place in the country in Tennessee. Even though I'm usually not one to read the southern, rural settings often, this totally didn't count. It was like simultaneously a stereotype and a parody of itself, I loved it. So, in parting, READ THE BOOK. I promise you, you'll thank me later. You can get it at Kettleson or SHS.
Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.
A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?
Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.
So, being the closet sappy romantic that I am, I really loved this book. It was a nice, easy read that still held some twists and emotional-type suspense, though stayed pretty mellow for a good chunk of the book. It was able to pull you into the settings (especially the airplane and trip) by taking notice of tiny details that pulled the scene together. The characters were pretty relatable, too. The story was sweet with some heart-wrenching parts mixed in; overall a very good read in my opinion. So, if you're in the mood for a classic, intriguing romance novel, go get this at Kettleson. I promise, you won't regret it.
"With her gift of weaving silk thread and creating light, Sandry is brought to the Winding Circle community. There she meets Briar, a former thief who has a way with plants; Daja, an outcast gifted at metalcraft; and Tris, whose connection with the weather unsettles everyone, including herself. At Winding Circle, the four misfits are taught how to use their magic - and to trust one another. But then disaster strikes their new home. Can Sandry weave together four kinds of magical power and save herself, her friends, and the one place where they've ever been accepted?"
So, that's a really short description, but I can promise you that you're likely to love this book if you pick it up. This was a re-read for me; I've been reading Tamora Pierce books since I was a lot younger--and probably'll continue reading them while I get older. These books are really timeless, and younger readers will enjoy them just as much as adults, so whatever age you are I suggest reading this. Anyway, this book's set in some undefined, old but still interesting, magical world. Think Graceling meets a little of the Bartimaeus Trilogy and you'll kind of get a feel for it. There are mages and the like coexisting with merchants and traders and street kids. I really liked the characters that the book focused on; the four main characters were really different and quirky in their own ways and their interactions were really entertaining. The imagery--not the scenery so much, but the theoretical and magical images, if that makes sense--was very intricate and descriptive without making the story too heavy. The book's not too long, just a compact little novel that draws you in the farther you read. I can't recommend this series, or this author, more. Seriously. So go to Kettleson or BMS to get a copy, or just check out the Tamora Pierce books at Kettleson.
"Kayla Callaway has been studying ballet since she learned to walk, and her heart is set on a future in the dance world. She's sure she'll get a solo part in Cinderella, the spring ballet at her high school. But when the parts are finally posted, Kayla is shocked that she's only landed a role as a stepsister -- and an ugly one, at that The brutal truth: Ballet and big boobs don't mix. Suddenly Kayla's dream for the future has become a real-life fractured fairy tale.
To make matters worse, bloodred pointe shoes with threatening messages start popping up all over school. When Kayla learns that she'll be wearing red pointe shoes in the ballet, she wonders if the messages are meant for her. But who are they from? And more important -- what do they mean?"
Meh. I'll admit I picked up this book just 'cause I'm a dancer, and in that regard, it didn't totally disappoint. I could tell that the author knew her stuff about the ballet world, but as for the actual story, I was very underwhelmed. I didn't hate it, I just wasn't super impressed. The characters didn't seem to develop any, and they weren't especially three-dimensional in the first place. The "red shoe" plot, which was one of the reasons I picked it up (hey, I like a good maybe-murder-mystery as much as the next person), didn't really go anywhere and wasn't really the main focus of the book. Again, I say, meh. The main focus turned out to be the, ahem, boob issue. It seemed like the whole story was pretty much leading to the Moral at the end. But, and I'll try to say this without giving anything away, the ending Moral wasn't even entirely satisfying to me. It was almost a little controversial, and I'm not entirely sure whether I like the way it went. I dunno. It was a fine book, if you don't look at it too hard. There was some humor in it, and it's a high school maturity level. I would say, if you're a dancer, at least give it a try. It's at the library...but apparently it's missing. Okay. Since I got my copy from the White E, it'll probably be back there soon if you want to look for it.
