Boys of Summer, by Jessica Brody

Boys of Summer by Jessica Brody, is a nice contemporary story with a bittersweet ending. The story is told from the perspective of three guys, Grayson, Mike and Ian. Boys of Summer is a book that follows these boys through a summer on an island where secrets and emotions get in the way of their friendship. It's the summer between high school graduation and the start of their new lives.

Mike, Ian, and Grayson have been friends since they were children and have always spent the summers together on an island. However, this summer each boy is dealing with their inner turmoil. Ian just lost his father, Mike has to help his family pay the bills by taking on two jobs, and Grayson is hiding an injury that can ruin his entire future. We follow each boy this summer as they deal with each problem. Their lives are still connected in some way before going out into the unknown and leading separate lives.

I think it's a bittersweet story because of how realistic the story is and when the summer comes to a close, the boys are still figuring things out, but at eighteen, they still have their entire future ahead of them. *JK*

The Good Sister, by Jamie Kain

The Good Sister by Jaime Kain has been described (on Goodreads) as "The Fault in Our Stars meets The Lovely Bones," and I feel that is an apt assessment of this sad, but oh-so-good page turner. There's also a bit of We Were Liars mixed in.

The Kinseys are the picture-perfect example of a dysfunctional family. There's the former hippie mom who is determined to hold onto her flower-child roots. The former-hippie-now-reformed (but also absent) father. Sarah, Rachel, and Asha grew up in this crazy, messed-up household where the normal rules of the world didn't really apply. Despite the so-called "mellow" vibe of their California community, no one in the Kinsey household is really happy.

And ever since Sarah died, things have been even worse. Sarah, the "good" sister of the title, was the glue that held the family together. She was the sun the rest orbited around, built their lives around. With her gone, everything falls apart.

A lifelong leukemia patient, Sarah knew early death was almost a certainty. Everyone knew it was coming. Just not like this. Not in a hiking "accident" that may not have been all that accidental. Told from the three sisters' alternating viewpoints (with Sarah's perspective from the afterlife bringing an element of magical realism to the story), the true story gradually unfolds, uncensored. And it is a truth that's painful and far more complex and convoluted than the reader could imagine. Everyone's secrets come spilling out, and no one is who they first appear to be. 

Especially Sarah. Saintly, golden Sarah.

Saintly? Yeah right!

To say more would give too much away.

The Good Sister can currently be found on our New Book Shelf. Read it if you're looking for a complex mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. 

Definitely recommended! --AJB

We Are The Goldens, by Dana Reinhardt

Layla has a secret: She's in love. But she can't tell anyone. Not her best friends. Certainly not her parents. Not even her younger sister, Nell, who idolizes her and with whom she's closer to than anyone else in the world. They wouldn't understand. Because this is not just the average high school relationship. Layla is in love with one of her teachers--and he feels the same way (apparently) about her. She's been sneaking out to be with him, lying about where she's been, ignoring her friends, and making excuses to get out of plans (so she can be with him). 

And Nell is the only one who suspects something is wrong. She just doesn't know what. Of course there are the rumors (there are always rumors about this particular teacher), but she doesn't start to believe they might be true until she investigates...

...and what she finds is shocking even beyond what she suspected.

Told from Nell's point of view in an open narrative addressed toward Layla, We Are The Goldens, by Dana Reinhardt is nonstop action. No, not the car chases and explosions type of action, but the dramatic sort that keeps you turning pages. Readers discover along with Nell the mystery of what's wrong with Layla, they learn how she feels moment-to-moment, and share the shock of her final discovery, the one that may finally push her to break her silence.

An awesome book! Read it! --AJB

This One Summer, by Jillian Tamaki

This One Summer, a graphic novel by Jillian Tamaki, is a brilliant story about friendship, family, and all the confusing and fascinating feelings that go along with growing up.

Each summer since they could remember, Rose and Windy's families met up at Awago Beach where the girls would spend two carefree weeks swimming, watching movies, eating sugary snacks, and just being kids. Needless to say, Rose has been looking forward to summer all year long. But this summer things have changed, and not for the better...and Rose would give almost anything to get back that innocence of those past summers. Rose, now almost a teenager, finds she's occasionally annoyed by Windy's childish behavior (Windy is a couple years younger). Why did these things about her old friend never bother her before? What's more, Rose's mother is constantly angry about something mysterious, something she won't talk about, and this is causing nearly constant tension between her parents. Nothing about Awago Beach is the same anymore, and this worries Rose. 

Then, when things couldn't get any more complicated, they do! Rose and Windy suddenly find themselves in the middle of some very grown-up drama involving a group of local teens. And they are forced to open their eyes to the reality that Awago Beach may not be (and may never have been) the idyllic sanctuary they always believed it to be.

I don't read a lot of graphics, preferring print books, but This One Summer caught my eye--and I'm glad I picked it up. Characterization is phenomenal and the theme (the struggle and confusion of being caught between childhood and adolescence) is something that's universally understood. I'd definitely recommend this one! --AJB

Teen Reviewer: Fire With Fire

Teen reviewer Kate, 9th grade, continues to love Jenny Han's Burn for Burn trilogy. She just completed the second book, Fire with Fire, and loved it:

"Yet again I loved one of Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian's collaborations in Fire with Fire! Oh, I can't believe the cliff hanger we are left with in this book! I can't wait for Ashes to Ashes, the final book (due out in September). In Fire with Fire, we learn a lot more about the three main characters and their purpose for revenge, but the new secrets that are revealed are shocking! I can't wait to read the conclusion, and I recommend this trilogy to everyone."

Fire with Fire is appropriate for teens 13 and older (according to Kate). As stated in her review, Kate would absolutely recommend this book (and its prequel) to anyone and everyone.

Teen Reviewer: Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher

Teen Reviewer Sidney, 14, read Ketchup Clouds, by Annabel Pitcher. The book jumped off the shelf and hugged her. Although it wasn't the best book ever, Sidney found it entertaining enough to keep her attention. Here is her review:

"I liked Ketchup Clouds a lot. I liked the setup of the book and how it was written as a letter to Mr. Harris (a prisoner on Death Row). I just wish we could have gotten a few replies from Mr. Harris and learn about him in more detail. Zoe was a success as a character. She was a very real and likable person. My personal favorite (character) was Aaron. I liked him a lot. The book itself was very entertaining and well-written. I also loved the fact it took place in the U.K. Throughout the book, Zoe says how guilty she feels. You can feel her guilt in her writing to Mr. Harris.  

Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher was a very entertaining, well written book. I would recommend it to friends and many others."

Ketchup Clouds is a follow-up to Pitcher's 2011 novel, My Sister Lives on the Mantlepiece, which is about a young boy dealing with the death of his older sister from a terrorist attack. Ketchup Clouds was published July 1, 2013.

Wanderlove

Ever want to do something drastic to escape your life? After nearly a year, Bria's mentally abusive boyfriend dumps her (without warning) to attend art school on the other side of the country, leaving Bria broken-hearted, mentally wounded, and with her own college plans in ruins. Desperate for a change of scene, Bria spontaneously signs up for a Central American tour group--only to discover it's not nearly as much of an escape as she'd hoped. Then Bria encounters the handsome and mysterious Rowan. Throwing caution to the wind for the first time in her sheltered, good-girl life, Bria leaves the tour group to travel with this fascinating, free-spirited boy, who seems to embody everything Bria wishes she could be. Their destination is the famed Laughing Bird Island, where Rowan supposedly has a job set up to teach scuba. As they travel across Central America, Bria heals from past wounds and begins to get her head together. She and Rowan (who also has his dark secrets) begin to trust each other and become friends...and maybe there's a possibility of romance. Or maybe not. Whatever happens next, it will be Bria's adventure of a lifetime. Something she'll always remember.

Wanderlove is one of those coming-of-age books that's so well done, you can't help but rave about it again and again. Bria's character does a tremendous amount of growing up throughout the story, transforming from a sheltered and mopey teen into a young woman who's got it together--or at least well on her way to getting it together. Her relationship with Rowan is interesting in that it's REAL. None of that insta-love stuff that so often crops up in books. That's very refreshing. Also, there are no vampires, werewolves, zombies, faries, trolls, wizards, or angels anywhere to be seen. Also very refreshing. Just a girl's journey of self-discovery and healing set against an exotic, tropical backdrop. So if you're looking for a beach book with a bit more depth than your typical chick lit, Wanderlove is for you. Awesome and highly recommended! --AJB