Eight Days on Planet Earth, by Cat Jordan

Eight Days on Planet Earth is down-to-earth yet it's magical, funny, and a little heartbreaking.

Matty Jones has grown up knowing the field he lives next to is a little different. Matty's father claims that a spaceship landed there on the night he was born. But Matty's father has since run off with his brother's sister, leaving Matty and his mother alone, so Matty isn't all that inclined to listen to what his father believes. When a strange girl suddenly appears in Matty's field claiming to be from another planet, waiting to be collected by a spaceship, Matty knows it can't be true. But there is something so ethereal about Priya  that she starts to change Matty's view on life, the universe and even love.

It wasn't until I reached the very end of this book that I actually started to understand it. For most of this story I expected a spaceship to land in Matty's field and colllect the celestial Priya. But this book is actually a contemporary novel - real life, real world issues. It is just like it claims in the synopsis - about life, the universe and love. The ending of this book is beautiful but it also has a surprising twist. I didn't see it coming and it changed everything about how I viewed this book, the characters and their actions. The surprise is actually the best part, so I'll stop here.

This book is written from Matty's perspective across eight strange and life-changing days, which enables the reader to burrow into Matty's head and heart.
Eight Days on Planet Earth wasn't what I was expecting, but instead was a delightful and moving surprise. It is perfect for readers who enjoy contemporary novels about romance, family, self-discovery, tearjerkers and that something special that is just a little otherworldly. *JK*

Under Rose-Tainted Skies, by Louise Gornall

I never came across the word, agoraphobia until I read Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall. I ended up googling the word agoraphobia and it basically means fear of places and situations that might cause panic, helplessness, or embarrassment. It's an anxiety disorder where you think the places you go to are unsafe and unable to get away and most people experience panic attack.

I can imagine that someone with agoraphobia doesn't have lots of friends. Maybe online, they may have friends. Social media, for example, might connect them to the outside world, because it's pretty much impossible for them to meet up with friends or invite them over.

In this story, it revolves around Norah's struggles to live her life with agoraphobia, anxiety, and OCD. I thought these mental health issues were all portrayed really well and weren't simply "cured" overnight because she met a cute guy. The guy is more of what leads her to work on everything more instead of what makes it all magically go away. Nothing felt too cheap and unrealistic in this story.

There were a few relationships Norah had, were done really nicely. I loved that moment when Norah realized that she'd become best friends with her mother, which is something that definitely sounds familiar. Her friendship with her neighbor, Luke also develops naturally.

My favorite part was that, even though there was a love interest and a romantic plot, love did not cure all. Luke is an incredible love interest and is so supportive but he doesn't attempt to cure her. I can't even tell you how much I dislike books that deal with mental health being easily solved by love. Love does not cure mental illnesses. Sure, they can definitely help but they do not cure it. *JK*

The Fill-In Boyfriend, by Kasie West

The Fill-In Boyfriend is a contemporary romance and it is absolutely adorable. This book is filled with humor, friendship, love, and learning who you are. Although, in the beginning, I disliked the main character, Gia Montgomery, because she is so concerned with what people think and she comes off as very insecure, shallow and self-absorbed. Because her plan didn't work out the way she wanted, she lies to her friends about her boyfriend. But as I read on, the main character is not bad at all and the positive qualities begin to make up for it.

The story begins when Gia gets dumped by her boyfriend Bradley in the parking lot of her school right before prom. This night was the night to prove to all her friends that her boyfriend actually exists after constantly boasting about him for months. As she became desperate, she sees a guy in the car and pretty much begs him to be her "fill-in Bradley". This "fill-in Bradley" does a great job at pretending to be her loving boyfriend. Too good for a job, because Gia can't stop thinking about him days after the prom.

The plot is certainly predictable and it's safe to say that this book is filled with so many sweet and swoony moments. The Fill-In Boyfriend is the perfect type of contemporary romance for reading by the pool!

Note: One character you need to be aware of is Jules. She is horrible, petty, jealous and just plain MEAN! She will drive you crazy! *JK*

Keeper, by Kathi Appelt

Ten-year-old Keeper is part mermaid. At least, that's what she's always believed. After all, wasn't her mother, who swam away when Keeper was only three, a mermaid? How else could Keeper hear the cries of the gumbo-bound crabs, pleading for someone to rescue them before they became dinner? 

Of course, listening to those crabs is what turned the best day ever into a total and complete nightmare! Now Signe, Keeper's guardian, won't be able to have everyone over for the traditional Blue Moon dinner. Now Dogie won't be able to ask Signe the special question he's waited ten years to ask. Now Old Mr. Buchamp won't ever find the one thing he's been searching for since he was a boy. Everything, everything is ruined. And it's all because Keeper listened to those crabs.

Keeper needs her mother more than ever. So she sneaks out of her house in the dark of night, "borrows" the neighbor's row boat, and sets off to the open sea to find the place she last saw her mother all those years earlier. Her mother will know what to do. Her mother will help make everything right again. Won't she?

But what if Keeper's mother isn't there as expected? What if everything Keeper has believed about her life isn't true?

Keeper, by Kathi Appelt, is a delightful story about family, love, friendship, and self-discovery...all with bits of magic and mythology woven throughout. As well as a few surprises. Characters are believable, and Appelt's uniquely poetic writing style gives the story color, life, and depth. Keeper is definitely one of my favorites, and is one of those stories that can be enjoyed by people of all ages (guys and girls too). There's truly something here for everyone. Just read it! You'll be happy you did!

Keeper can currently be found in our Tween section. --AJB

Love, Lucy by April Lindner

Since spring and summer is right around the corner and the weather being warmer made me want to read more some love stories. Love, Lucy is a great example of a love story. April Lindner introduces to Lucy Sommersworth, a girl who has spent most of her struggling with her own desires to pursue acting, and her father's wish for her to have a more practical career (e.g. business). As a compromise to her father, Lucy agrees to follow in his footsteps, in exchange for a trip to Italy. But it's on that trip to Italy, that Lucy meets Jesse and begins to realize that life isn't what she expected. After she returns home, she quickly finds that her summer romance is continuing to influence her life. 

Italy is the place to experience the streets, the people, the food, and the culture and one thing I could relate to Lucy is the need to get lost in a foreign country. I love just going where the path takes you, especially when traveling to foreign counties. It really is a serene and beautiful as Lucy described it. I truly felt how realistic the experience was for Lucy, it was like April Lindner actually experienced it herself and went through the same emotions as she did, and I love this authenticity in writing.   *JK*

The Carnival at Bray, by Jessie Ann Foley

It's 1993, and Maggie Lynch, 16, couldn't feel more lost.

Her emotionally unstable mom has just married her latest fling, a guy she barely knew four months, and uprooted the entire family, forcing a move from the familiar Chicago neighborhood to a dreary small town on the coast of Ireland. Unlike her outgoing younger sister, Maggie has trouble making friends her own age and fitting in at her strict Catholic school. She misses her old home, her friends, her grandmother. But she misses her rocker Uncle Kevin the most of all. Despite that her family thought Kevin was a horrible influence, there was no one Maggie related to better. Despite their 10 year age difference, Uncle Kevin was the only person in Maggie's life who treated her like an equal, like a person, and not like a child. He was her best friend, and the only person she fully trusted.

And now he's an ocean away. 

As the winter rain falls outside, Maggie spends hours shut in her room, listening to the bands Uncle Kevin introduced her to: Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails, and especially, especially Nirvana. This music is the only thing that makes sense to Maggie. It's the only thing that makes her feel connected to anything resembling a normal life.

Then comes two very important turning points: Maggie falls deeply in love with a local boy and a sudden tragedy strikes her family.

Spurred into action by these events, and armed with a pair of concert tickets Uncle Kevin sent in his last care package, Maggie runs away from home to make a forbidden trip to Rome where she will finally see the band whose music kept her company during those lonely hours. But it's more than just a road trip. More than just a concert. It's the beginning of everything. And, in some ways, the end.

The Carnival at Bray, by Julie Ann Foley, initially sparked my interest because it is set in the time period when I was a teen--so I suppose one could call it historical fiction. But despite the dated pop culture references, mentions of bands now considered "classic rock," lack of modern technology (no cell phones), and absence of social media, it's still a story that's relatable to teens of today. Family drama, first love, music, unexpected changes, and finding one's place in the world...these are still very important and relevant issues, and The Carnival at Bray handles them beautifully. Maggie is a very "real" character, and Eoin is positively crush-worthy! 

The Carnival at Bray was up for several awards this year, and, having read it, it's easy to see why. This one is definitely recommended. --AJB

p.s. On a side note, I'd like to mention that this book would me more appropriate for older teen readers. 

Sometimes It Happens, by Lauren Barnholdt

You might be able to guess what this story is about based on the title. Sometimes It Happens explains a concept of friendship, love, and betrayal. The story begins with Hannah on the first day of her senior year. Although, most teenagers look forward to their last year in high school as they are about to have their freedom but Hannah, on the other hand, is dreading her first day of senior year. Why? It's because she has to face her ex-boyfriend Sebastian who dumped her at the end of her junior year, her best friend Ava who has been away for the entire summer, and of course Ava's boyfriend Noah who has been hanging around with her and their friendship blossomed to something more over the summer. So how is Hannah going to get through this day and will they still be friends when her secrets are revealed? What is her relationship with Ava going to be like? And Noah?

The story also takes you from the present to the recent past. It really helps you understand what happened before and why everything occurred that way. I got to experience everything through this book: The drama, humor, romance and adventure! *JK*