Crown of Pearl and Pearl by Mara Rutherford

Twin sisters, Sadie and Nor have spent the majority of their young lives preparing for the opportunity to be chosen to marry the Prince of Ilara. To be chosen, one must be the most beautiful maiden in the land of Varenia. The people of Varenia have been forced to live on the water and answer to the Kingodom of Illara for hundreds of  years. Sending a bride is one way to appease the Illarians. Despite being in love with Sami, Sadie is chosen to marry the Prince. When Sadie is injured, Nor is blamed. She takes Sadie's place without revealing her true identity to the Illarians. Upon Nor's arrival in Ilara, she finds out that the Prince is cruel and has terrible plans for people of Varinia. Nor must do everything she can to try and keep her people of Varinia safe. Fantasy fans will find Crown of Coral and Pearl appealing. Nor is a strong character who continues to show her fortitude. I've already ordered the sequel because I can't wait to find out what happens next.

In Another Time by Caroline Leech

 

Maisie leaves  home in 1942 to join the Women's Timber Corps as a lumberjill and support the war effort. Her parents refuse to communicate with Maisie once she leaves, and Maise must deal with a bossy superior named Violet. Yet despite these challenges, Maise thrives in her new environment, makes several new friends, and enjoys the rigorous, outdoor work. When Maisie meets the handsome John Lindsay, she learns that things are not always what they seem. After a terrible logging accident, Maisie realizes she has more strength than she knew. Be sure to read the acknowledgements and Author's note In Another Time to find out more about the lumberjills and some of their history.

Faking Normal by Courtney Stevens

 

Realistic Fiction is one of my favorite genres, and Faking Normal  by Courtney Stevens does not disappoint in any way. Something terrible happened to Alexi over the summer, but she can't tell anyone. Instead she hides her emotional pain and the physical pain she is inflicting on herself from everyone. Something terrible also happened to Bodee, the quiet boy who lives next door. His dad killed his mom. Everyone knows. When Alexi's parents allow Bodee come live with them, Alexi finds out that Bodee might be the person to help her finally face what happened and start to heal. 

Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

Two sisters. They used to be inseparable, but then there was the accident. The one that has left Dara refusing to speak to anyone including her sister, Nick. Nick isn't exactly sure why Dara won't speak to her or what has caused Dara to change so much, but she is determined to find out out. Nick spends the summer working at FanLand, the local amusement park with Parker, Nick's best friend until Dara kissed him. Then Dara and another girl disappear. Nick must find out what happened to Dara and ten year old Madeline Snow before it is is too late. 

Send by Patty Blount

Dan wants to lay low at his new school, but he can’t help but intervene when he sees a boy named Brandon about to be beaten up. Dan’s desire for anonymity is because he doesn’t want anyone to find out who he really is...a convicted sex offender who spent 9 months in juvenile detention after a social media post led to a boy’s suicide. He didn't mean for any of this to happen, and his time in juvenile detention has left many physical and mental scars. His grandfather won't speak to him, and Dan just cannot forgive himself for what he did. As he starts to make new friends, Dan tries to start living a normal life and make sure Brandon is okay.

I really enjoyed Send. It was such a quick read and so relevant to what goes into today's world. Clicking SEND is so easy, but it is so important to stop and think about the repercussions.

The Whole Thing Together by Ann Brashares

This book has taken me months to finish. I'm not sure why. It just did. I read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares years ago, so when I saw this on our shelves, I decided to read it. I love the concept behind the story. Two families are split by a bitter divorce. There are children from the first marriage and one child on each side that is not related. One of the agreements after the divorce included sharing the vacation house. This means that during the summer and on weekends, the families rotate out of the house, but the shared children stay. That just leaves Sasha (girl) and Ray (boy) to share a room even though they have never met in over 16 years. If it sounds complicated, it is. The names are confusing, but there is a chart in the front of the book to help. As the story unfolds, Sasha and Ray's connection becomes very clear. Their lives are completely intertwined even though they have never met. There is no doubt they will meet; it's just a matter of when and what will happen when they finally do.

The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

Sasha is a white, middle-classed teenager who lives in Oakland, California and attends a small private school. Sasha is gender-nonconforming and is referenced throughout the book using the pronoun "them." Richard is a black teen who lives in a high-crime neighborhood and attends a large public school in Oakland, California. This is important to see the contrast of lives. Their paths cross one day while riding the same bus and an unfortunate prank turns into a painful and highly publicized traumatic event for both teens. The reader is taken through the viewpoints of Richard and Sasha, so it's appreciated to be able to see/hear/read both party's emotions through their testimonies. I highly recommend this nonfiction book to any reader to see and experience the harsh realities of human beings, but also the remorse people feel after committing such harsh acts of hatred. It allows the reader to see both sides to the story and sympathize with both parties versus passing judgment or being completely one-sided.

This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

I did not like this book. At all. Yet, I had to finish it. This is Where it Ends is a gripping story of the 55 minutes of terror the students and teachers at Opportunity High experience when they are locked in the auditorium by a former student who wants revenge. It's beyond upsetting and the shooter is merciless. Told in flashbacks by four characters, This is Where it Ends takes on a topic that is beyond scary and real.

Hold Still by Nina LaCour

After reading the back cover or Hold Still, I knew I had to find out what happened in this story about friendship and loss. It begins with Caitlin who is trying to deal with her best friend Ingrid's suicide. Caitlin isn't sure how she is supposed to move on without her best friend. It's beautifully written and touching. Fans of the book and Netflix Series 13 Reasons Why will enjoy Hold Still. 

New Titles Coming Soon!!!

Book Reviews Coming Soon:

• The Whole Thing Together 
• A Child Called "It"
• A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue
• Blank Confession
• And many more!!!

People Like Us by Dana Mele

Bates Academy is an all girls boarding school where Kay Donovan is trying to reinvent herself from a past the reader does not learn about until late in the book. People Like Us is a suspenseful novel that appears to be predictable and obvious until deep, dark secrets are revealed. Kay is the star soccer player on her team with hopes and dreams of receiving a soccer scholarship at a top-ranked college or university and it seems as though she is on the right path to do that. That is until a classmate's body is found floating in a lake face down and now detectives, classmates, and teammates start to point the finger at Kay. She has to figure out how she is going to convince everyone she is innocent by completing a computer-generated scavenger hunt, which was left behind by the murdered classmate. The book was really interesting for the first half, but had a lull in the middle, and then picked up again when everything started to come together. There are some sexual and explicit scenes and the language may be a bit much, but overall this is an entertaining book that does keep the reader interested for the most part.

Antisocial by Jillian Blake

I picked up Antisocial from our newly purchased books shelf and was pleasantly surprised at how much I was into this mystery. Anna Soler is an introverted artist who spends most of her time in the art room at Prep, a co-ed private school, who recently broke up with Palmer, the star basketball player. She suffers severe anxiety and experienced a treatment center for it, and now is immersed in a major hack job that releases text messages, social media posts, and DMs to every student at Prep. While trying to mend her friendship with her two best friends whom she turned her back on during her relationship with Palmer, she breathes a sigh of relief each day her private texts are not hacked into and released for all to see and judge, particularly her former best friends. I highly recommend this book because it kept me engaged the entire time and I was so anxious to find out who the hacker was, if Anna would mend her relationship with her friends, and what the outcome would be for all the students at Prep. Though the hacker is revealed much before the end, the story all comes together at the climatic point that brings somberness, but also closure to the release of everyone's personal and for some, illegal or inappropriate actions. 

Forgive Me Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

I read this book after the recommendation from Mrs. Spreder because she said it was a good story, but also very heartbreaking and disturbing. This book is about the challenges a teenage boy faces with his sexuality and communicating it to those closest to him; but it's also about a decision he has already made in that he will kill himself on his birthday after he has killed his former best friend for reasons the reader will learn throughout the book. The author, Matthew Quick tells this story of a teenage boy who is silently screaming for help over the course of several days that lead up to his birthday. While there are parts that make the reader laugh out loud with Leonard's witty sense of humor, knowing the inevitable makes the reader sympathetic for Leonard and hopeful that someone will reach out and help him during his darkest times. 

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is a book that disturbed me, intrigued me, and had me determined to finish it even if I had to take a break from reading it for a few weeks! In this controversial, realistic fiction, a traumatic event occurs in which a young man, Khalil, is shot by the police with his friend, Starr Carter (the book's protagonist), was watching it all happen before her eyes. Now, she has to decide whether or not to testify to fight for her beliefs and protect her neighborhood. The language is rough throughout the book and the situations are realistic, but also a bit dramatized. However, I live in a sheltered world, so what the characters in this book have experienced and are exposed to I only have seen or read about through media. The ending, without spoiling it, seems as though everything is resolved; however, there are still major issues that as the reader, we know will continue: the opinions on police brutality; racial tension; and gangs. I do highly recommend this book, but full disclosure it can can be controversial, at times uncomfortable to read, and some could view it as biased or one-sided.

Educated by Tara Westover

Tara Westover grew up in the mountains of Idaho in a family who didn't believe in public schooling or medical care. Her father believed the end of the world was coming and was preparing for this day. He expected the children to complete extremely perilous tasks such as running dangerous equipment with no regard for their safety. Tara and her siblings experienced several horrific accidents which could have resulted in losing an arm or death.  Despite all of this, Westover is able to earn several degrees from Brigham Young University and Cambridge.  Her story is compelling and at times unbelievable. If you have read, The Glass Castle and are looking for a similar read, try Educated.

Sway by Kat Spears

Meet Jesse Alderman also known as Sway. Jesse rules the school. When someone wants something, Jesse is the person to ask because nothing is out of reach for Sway. That is until he is asked to help the football captain get a date with Bridget. As Jesse sets his plan in motion, he begins to realize he is developing feelings for Bridget, her brother, and the man he gets to pretend is his grandfather to impress Bridget. Be prepared for a hilarious read in which you will question how Sway gets away with what he does and if he is capable of true feelings or if it is all part of his game.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Known as the marsh girl, Kya has been on her own since about the age of 10. First her mother walked away. Then each of her siblings left one by one until Kya was all alone with her drunk and abusive father. Shunned by the town for her peculiar ways, Kya survives alone in the marsh until Tate and Chase seek her out. When Chase ends up dead, Kya is the lead suspect. Told in flashbacks, Where the Crawdads Sing is a everything a book should be...It's a love story, a mystery, and tale of self discovery.

Swing by Kwame Alexander

Noah and Walt are two high school students who have been best friends since childhood. Walt's character is an old soul in a teenager's body. He has high hopes and aspirations for his current, teenage life including making the baseball team, which he has been cut from for three years, pursuing a love interest he meets at a thrift store, and implementing his life/love lessons he learns from his cousin and from a podcast. Meanwhile, Noah wants to throw in the towel for baseball and concentrate on his love interest, whom he has loved since childhood, Samantha. 

The friendship between Noah and Walt is extremely endearing, authentic, and special like no other. The boys experience typical teenage drama: heartbreak, social awkwardness, being cool, school, and just life in general. Kwame weaves into the story jazz music by its rhythmic manner that narrates the story. This story really warmed my heart, but then it crushed it in the end and I am still trying to recover from it. I highly recommend this book to all as it brought many smiles and many tears throughout. 

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

Claire Scott lives a seemingly perfect life: happily married, financially stable, and seemingly stress-free. However, her past continues to haunt her as her youngest sister was abducted and the case was never resolved. The disappearance of her sister twenty plus years ago is eerily similar to a current day disappearance of another young female, and Claire is determined to find out if there is any connection. Through all this, Claire learns a lot about her family from the past and also her current situation. 

This suspenseful novel kept me interested from page to page. Though there are some intense, graphic, and uncomfortable scenes the author really intensified the story through all the twists and turns of the plot. I highly recommend this book to a more mature audience that can handle a few disturbing situations. 

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Cadence and her family have spent every summer together on their family's private island. They are wealthy, beautiful, and seem to have everything. Cadence, Mirren, Johnny, and Gat, the three cousins and a family friend are inseparable. Everything appears to be perfect until the incident. Cadence can't remember what happened and no one will tell her how she she ended up down by the water alone with no memory. When Cadence returns to the island after missing a summer, she tries to uncover what happened.

I can't comment too much on this one because I do not want to ruin anything. It is definitely at the top of my list of books to recommend. The best I can do is tell you to go read it and avoid any reviews or summaries.