FEATURED BOOK: Heavy Metal and You

Sam loves two things: 

1. Heavy metal music (his first love)

2. His new girlfriend, Melissa 

Unfortunately, straightedge Melissa just doesn't "get" heavy metal--and she pretty much hates everything else about Sam's life: His friends, his frequent partying, the fact that he smokes and enjoys the occasional drink, his clothes... Everything. Poor guy.

With a setup like this, you know right away this will be a very rocky relationship that is probably doomed to crash and burn before it even gets too far off the ground. It will be gruesome, it will be brutal, and the carnage will be messy and far-reaching. It will be a train-wreck that's so awful you won't be able to look away.

Or will it?

Heavy Metal and You, by Christopher Krovatin explores the all-important question: How far are you willing to go for love? 

As with all new relationships, Sam and Melissa's is, at first, all hearts and flowers and romance. Then the cracks begin to appear. She starts complaining and criticizing everything that makes Sam who he is. She picks fights over petty things. And Sam, 100% stupid in love, is willing to do anything to avoid being dumped. So he starts trying to change for Melissa. He quits smoking and drinking... He tries to quit partying... He tries to quit hanging out with his friends so much ('cause, of course, his friends are negative influences)... And so instead of defending himself, he tries to clean up and become the boy he thinks Melissa wants him to be. 

And soon Sam is absolutely miserable!

But what's a boy in love with the wrong girl to do?

Heavy Metal and You will make you laugh, cringe, and might even remind you of that one guy or girl you would have done anything for back when you were younger and dumber and less knowledgeable about relationships.

This rocking book can be found on our Island of Misfit Books display because, unfortunately, it's gotten buried in the shelves and isn't checking out. 

Please, please, please save this book! We'd hate to have to get rid of it!

Teen Reviewer:

Teen reviewer Olivia, 14, read an advanced reader's copy of The Beginning of Everything, by Robyn Schneider and thought it was awesome, fantastic, and everything a good book should be (and more). She would absolutely recommend the book to someone else. Here is her review:

"Where do I start? This book is perfection! It was painstakingly true, and I found myself laughing as well as crying as Ezra and Cassidy's story progressed. Ezra was the "It" guy: Charming, athletic, intelligent. That is, until a gruesome car accident shatters both his legs and his reputation. Ezra then falls in love with new girl Cassidy Thorpe, who is a mystery all in itself. I cannot help but say this book made me find myself. Ezra is a male version of how I think: He cares too much what others think. The book ended and I cried, not only because it was over, but because Ezra Faulkner and Cassidy Thorpe helped me realize that pure, silly happiness is possible and that we ALL have our own personal tragedies. And yet, despite this, there are still perfect moments in life. I could not put this book down because it was so unlike anything I've ever read. Hilarious character development, excruciatingly true aspects of adolescent life, unpredictable plot twists, and a respectable ending. That's what makes this a perfect book. Thank you, Ms. Schneider. I feel blessed to have been able to read your book!" 

The Beginning of Everything will be published August 27, 2013. 

Great Summer Road Trip Book: The Disenchantments

School's out for Summer! And even though it's been several years (not specifying a number) since I graduated, I still experience that excitement that goes along with the first day of summer vacation. That feeling that anything could happen over the next couple months! There's so much potential!

That said, my reading tastes this time of year often gravitate toward adventure stories. Not so much the ones featuring dragons, wizards, and unicorns (oh my!), but real life-type adventures. Involving real(istic) characters. And I just finished an awesome one: The Disenchantments, by Nina LaCour. 

Colby has just graduated from high school and, rather than go to college, he plans to backpack through Europe with his best friend, Bev, with whom he's secretly madly in love. This plan is four years in the making, and, for Colby, everything hinges on it. Everything. But first things first: Colby will accompany Bev on her garage band, The Disenchantments', final tour from San Francisco to Portland. Along the way, they will play gigs at questionable places, stay in run-down motels, eat greasy food, meet interesting people, and have exciting adventures. And maybe, just maybe, Colby and Bev will finally become something more than just friends. This is Colby's fantasy. But only a few miles into the trip, Bev drops a bomb that threatens to destroy everything: She won't be accompanying Colby to Europe like they had planned. Rather, she'll be attending college on the other side of the country. This is apparently something she'd been planning for nearly a year. Colby feels angry and betrayed: Firstly, because Bev, his supposed BFF, had kept such an important secret from him and, secondly, because he'd failed to make any plans for himself other than going to Europe with Bev (she left him hanging). 

Over the next few days and several hundred miles, Colby is forced to ponder a future without Bev constantly by his side. Painful secrets are revealed, old wounds are reopened, and drama is stirred up. There's also healing. And dreams realized. And the mystery involving the origin of a tattoo that was created before any of them were born. Everything works out in the end, but not in a way any of the characters could have expected.  

The Disenchantments is one of those ultimate summer road trip books that you're glad to have read. I highly recommend it! --AJB

Life & Times of the Invisible Boy

Ever have one of those days when you seem to be going through life unnoticed? Sometimes it's a good thing. Other times...well, not so much. Meet Calvin Schwa: The kid who seems to be invisible all the time and has the unfortulate effect of blipping off everyone's radar, social and otherwise (Or maybe you already have met Cal and you just don't remember it). When neighborhood troublemaker Anthony (a.k.a. Antsy) Bonano discovers this so-called "Schwa Effect," he and his friends decide to test its limits by daring Calvin to get himself into increasingly mischievous situations without getting caught. And it works...until the day Antsy & Co. dare Calvin to break into the apartment of mean Mr. Crawley, the neighborhood recluse, and steal a dog bowl. Long story short, The Schwa Effect doesn't work and the guys find themselves in a world of trouble.  Hilarious, awkward, unbelievable trouble.

Like its sequel, The Schwa Was Here by Neil Shusterman is both funnuy and serious. The plot, characters, and humor are geared more toward boys, but this story can be enjoyed by everyone. --AJB

Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have

Andrew never felt like he fit in: Not with his family, not with the popular clique, not into his size 48 pants. Andrew is used to being at the bottom of his school's food chain, and mostly he just rolls with it. But then a new girl joins his class and everything changes. April is just the sort of girl Andrew could date (not that he has dated). She's just the sort of girl he could fall in love with. But the awkward fat kid never gets the girl, right? When uber-popular jock Douglas saves Andrew from a bully's wrath, Andrew sees a way into April's heart: He tries out for the varsity football team--and makes the cut. Does Andrew get the girl? Maybe. You'll have to read the book to know for sure. Does Andrew's self-esteem get a huge boost? You bet!

Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have is being featured on this week's Endangered Book display. It's a well-written coming of age story, and readers will relate to Andrew's quest for self-improvement as he learns to stop using his weight as an excuse and start shaping his life into what he wants it to be. Check it out today! --AJB

The Ex Factor

When it comes to girlfriends, self-proclaimed child prodigy Colin Singleton definitely has a type. And that type has nothing to do with hair color, height/weight ratio, interest (or lack thereof) in sports, or the usual things that might attract people to each other. No. Colin is attracted to girls named Katherine (not Katie, not Kathy, not Kat, not Catherine-spelled-with-a-C). He's dated 19 of them to date, and each one has dumped him. Reeling from the crushing heartbreak of his most recent dumping, Colin decides he needs to get away from it all: From his hometown, from his over-protective and success-obsessed parents, AND from Katherines. Joined by his quirky friend Hassan, Colin embarks on a cross-country road trip, on which he hopes to complete a mathematical formula that will predict the outcome of any relationship. The guys end up in Gut Shot, Tennessee, the apparent burial place of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, a historical figure who has much significance to Colin. Here, in this unlikely rural town, Colin and Hassan find jobs, friends, and life lessons. There might even be an opportunity for Colin to break his lifelong Katherine streak.

Although not quite as good as John Green's other books (in my opinion), An Abundance of Katherines is not without its charms. There's well-developed and likable characters, there's a fun plot, and there's the author's trademark humor. A warning for those clueless about math: There's quite a bit of math in here, so it's easy for to get sidetracked (and then lost) due to the complex formulas. On the other hand, you math nerds will love this! Overall, this book was entertaining and I'd recommend it. --AJB 

Game On for Love!

Meet Scott Pilgrim, 22-year-old slacker and bassist for Canadian rock band Sex Bob-omb. Scott's dating high schooler Knives Chau, but is really in love with punk rock Amazon.ca delivery girl Ramona Flowers. But there's something Scott must do before he can date this girl of his dreams--besides ditching Knives with as little drama as possible. Scott's got to fight Ramona's Seven Evil Ex's, who include a famous skateboarder, a vegan rock star with super powers, identical twins, and a girl in need of some serious anger management therapy. And, of course, Scott must also own up to his own inner demons. Will Scott defeat the bad guys, win the girl, and save the day? Or will he be KO'd? Or worse, become an Evil Ex himself? 

Based on the gaphic novel series by Bryan O'Malley, Scott Pilgrim vs The World combines a great storyline, perfect casting, awesome special effects, and elements from old school video games. All this while remaining true to the books (as much as it's possible for a movie to do so, that is). But this movie can be enjouyed even if you're not familiar with the books. Exceptionally entertaining and highly recommended! --AJB

GLEE-fully Funny

Multitalented Glee star and YA writer Chris Colfer's hilarious new book Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal (based on a soon-to-be movie) has just hit our shelves!

Carson Phillips needs to beef up his school resume in order to get into Northwestern, the college of his choice, so he can someday live his dream of getting out of his small town and becoming the youngest ever editor of The New Yorker. The plan: Show up those administrative monkeys by cranking out an amazing, jam-packed issue of the school literary journal.  Completely jaded and openly sarcastic about everything within the confines of his small town--including the zombified sheep who populate his high school halls--Carson isn't exactly Mr. Popularity. So getting the requisite contrabutions from other students is harder than scaling Everest with nothing but a toothpick and roll of dentil floss. Unless, of course, Carson has blackmail ammo. And perhaps he does.

Applying the same flavor of sarcastic, witty humor as found in Perks of Being A Wallflower, Going Bovine, and How I Paid for College, Struck By Lightning is sure to entertain--whether you're a Gleek or not. --AJB

Detective Work

For Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old with severe autism, life is strictly routine. And that's just how he likes it. Then something awful happens to shake things up: A neighbor's dog is viciously murdered, and Christopher is falsely accused of the crime. Christopher then makes it his mission to get to the bottom of the case and find the real killer. Like his hero Sherlock Holmes, Christopher sees things others miss, and this makes him the perfect one to crack the case. But can he handle what he discovers when he finally does?

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon may not be for everyone, but it is a fantastic read for anyone looking for something a bit different from the average whodunit. And this book, written from Christopher's unique perspective, is definitely that! So if you're looking for a book that is both absorbing and challenging, check this one out. The way you see the world will never be the same. --AJB

Written in the Stars

Set in the late 1500s. When Jepp, a dwarf, is sent to become a member of the Spanish Infanta's royal court, he couldn't have anticipated the daily humiliations that would become his life: Donning silly costumes, leaping out of pies, and performing ridiculous stunts--all for the amusement of her Highness. He also couldn't have expected to fall in love with Lia, another dwarf and fellow performer. When something terrible happens to Lia, Jepp agrees to help her escape--with disastrous results. As punishment for this insubordination, Jepp is sent far away to a very unusual new master. Here, he expects to suffer the same humiliating lifestyle he did in while residing in the castle of the Infanta. But sometimes fate can twist in unexpected ways...

This truly unique book explores the age-old argument of fate vs. free will. Are our lives mapped out for us even before we are born? Do we have the power to shape our own destiny? A mix of both? No matter what you believe, Jepp Who Defied the Stars is not one to be missed. --AJB

What if...?

Camden Pike has been devastated since his girlfriend, Viv, died in a car accident two months ago.  She was the only good thing about his life.  When Camden makes a visit to the site of the accident he sees something like an apparition, but it's not Viv.  The apparition is Nina and she's not a ghost.  She is actually from an alternate universe.  One he can access by slipping through a window.  One where things seem the same as this world, but everyone is actually very different.  Cam just wants to see Viv again.  But Viv in the alternate universe is not like the Viv Cam remembers from his world.  Nina is hiding some secrets as well.  Not only that but the window allowing him to go back and forth from one world to another is quickly closing.  Cam has to decide to stay with the different Viv in the alternate universe or live without her in his own. 

Emily Hainsworth's debut novel, Through to You, is very enjoyable.  It has just the right amount of romance, mystery and intrigue to keep you hooked until the end. - KR

Opposites Attract? Maybe Not...

High schooler Sam likes nothing better than to party with his friends and listen to lots of heavy metal music--played at top volume. Sure Sam and his buddies sometimes cut classes and engage in other activities they probably shouldn't at their age. But that's OK with Sam. Until he meets and falls for Melissa, a "straightedge" preppy girl who doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, doesn't swear, and can't stand loud music. Especially heavy metal. At first Sam attempts to curb his party guy habits and play down his musical interests to please Melissa. After all, she expects--no, demands--as much from him. But soon neither one is happy. Can these two very different teens work things out? Or will their relationship go the way of 80s Hair Metal/Glam Rock after Grunge took over the music scene in the 1990s?

Heavy Metal and You is a relationship book written by a guy, from the perspective of a guy, with guys as its intended audience. But anyone who has ever tried to do a complete self makeover for a girl (or a guy) will relate to and find humor in this story. The moral? Be yourself. And if said girl (or guy) can't hack it, maybe it's not meant to be. Warning: This is not for younger teens, as there is some mature content and language. --AJB