Cuckoo Song

Triss was a normal girl until her accident. However, she doesn’t remember anything that happened or why she has weird symptoms. She is starving all the time, her sister hates her, and she gets angry over things she shouldn’t. Next thing she knows she sees her dolls start to move. Her parents start keeping secrets from her and acting weird. Triss takes us into a fantasy part of the city and meets some different creatures while trying to fix whatever it is happened to her. 

This book created a feeling of suspense. The beginning was a little slow so it took a while to get into but after it started to pick it was an interesting book. It is set in post-World War One with fantastic elements. I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys a suspenseful, supernatural book mixed with historical elements. 

A.K.

Technically It's Not My Fault

Technically It’s Not My Fault, by John Grandits is a fun, quick book made up by concrete poems. The relatable poems grab the reader’s attention with the creative shapes and ideas. Although Grandits’ book seems almost too middle school, he creates a fun read.

It made me laugh with a poem about a thank you letter written to a grandmother regarding a sweater that was bought. It had footnotes at the bottom of the page changing everything that was originally said. The poem was written in letter form and made me want to keep reading because the shapes were intriguing. 

A.K.

Ask Me How I Got Here

In Ask me How I Got Here by Christine Heppermann, Addie has always been running; running with her best friend, towards college scholarships, to win the race. Then she gets a boyfriend named Nick that she falls in love with. Then becoming pregnant, she is forced to make a decision. So what is she running from now? Her decision. Now she is hiding secrets from her family, coaches and friends. Attending a Catholic school does not make the outcome of her choices any better or easier to deal with. A long lost friend will help her come to peace with her choices.

I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a quick read. The style of writing Heppermann uses is unique because she writes in stanzas throughout the whole book. Also the book shows how one decision can change one person's whole life.

CM

Because You'll Never Meet Me

This was a very intelligently written book, and it had a unique plot. Ollie and Moritz are best friends, but they can never meet due do health issues. If they get two close, one could kill the other completely unintentionally. Instead they write letters back and forth. I really enjoyed reading this novel. I is the kind of book then keeps you thinking and asking yourself questions ranging from philosophical enlightenment to scientific theories. What kept me from loving it, though, is the way it ended; the problem was not resolved. I would suggest this book to anyone who is in a literary “funk”, and feels like they are reading the same book over and over with different names each time, because this book is different than any other I have ever read.
-HG

My Friend Dahmer

"My Friend Dahmer" by Derf Backderf, is a graphic novel where Derf, the author and former classmate of Jeffrey Dahmer, tries to make sense of the future serial killer, and what lead up to his demise. However, what emerges is a surprisingly type of sympathetic portrait of a disturbed young man who struggled helplessly against the gruesome urges that were bubbling from the deeper parts of his psyche. In the book Derf Backderf does an exceptional job of portraying and writing the story as if you were in his shoes watching this strange boy turn into something almost as nasty as Jack the Ripper. He also does an excellent job of stating and portraying how what Dahmer did was exceptionally bad and disturbing, but showing the problems he went through that lead to his state of being. Find out more in the book "My Friend Dahmer" by Derf Backderf.

"The May Queen Murders" by Sarah Jude, is about a girl named Ivy Templeton who lives in Rowan's Glen a remote farming community in the Missouri Ozarks. The town consists of an old-fashioned way of live that is full of superstition and traditions. Many people at the school thinks that the Glen kids are very weird, but to Ivy that doesn't matter she has her cousin Heather as her best friend where they share everything with each other. However when Heather goes missing after a May Day celebration, she discovers that both her beloved town and best friend are as full of secrets as the woods that surround their town. The way that Sarah Jude writes this story keeps you right on the edge of your seat wondering what new secrets are going to come out as the story continues. Will Ivy find her cousin? Or will more secrets unfold causing her to have little faith in anything. Find out more on "The May Queen Murders".

This Is the Story of You" by Beth Kephart, is about a girl named Mira Banul who has risen to almost every challenge that has been thrown in her and her friend's ways. However, when a huge superstorm crashes through the island and defies all the predictions that was set for it and also causes Mira's world is turned upside down. Her mother and brother are stranded on the mainland with no means of getting off and when a stranger appears at the wreck of Mira's home her thoughts on what to do become scrabbled. The way Beth Kephart writes this story will keep you on the edge of your seat and enticed throughout the whole story. Will Mira be able to rescue her mother and brother off the stranded island and find the strength she needs to carry on, or will her hope of recovery crash right before her eyes? Find out more in the book "This Is the Story of You".

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children

People are just like records. They have an A side and a B side that they can choose to show. In Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronn-Mills, a senior in high school, named Elizabeth doesn’t feel like she is who she is. It is the constant struggle of deciding which side should be shown that Elizabeth has to deal with. Now is her time to play her B side and introduce the world to Gabe, the person who she feels like has been hiding her whole life. It is the love for music that keeps Gabe going through his life. Without music and a few close friends Gabe would never be able to find the confidence to express himself.

This book gives an insight as to what it is like to feel different ways and think differently from other people. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys music or is looking for a unique read. This book touches on many different subject matters that allows people to relate to it and enjoy reading this book.

CM

Carly's Voice

When she was two years old, Carly Fleischmann was diagnosed with severe autism. In the book Carly’s Voice written by Carly’s father Arthur Fleischmann, he gives a keen insight as to what it is like having a child with autism. Carly also has and oral motor condition that prevents her from speaking. Arthur explains throughout the book the struggles his family is put through while dealing with a child with autism. At the age of ten Carly had a major breakthrough and was able to type on her computer in order to communicate. Now Carly can communicate with others and raise awareness for people with autism.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about autism. It is a long read so you have to be interested in the topic in order to enjoy the book. Learning about how people with autism feel is very eye opening and creates better understanding. Just reading and educating yourself on this topic would be a good idea.

CM

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Salt to the Sea

Four teens, four secrets, in the midst of World War II. In the novel Salt to the Sea by Ruta

Sepetys, thousands of refugees are desperate to board the Wilhelm Gustloff in order to find

Sanctuary from the war. The massive ship promises safety but with the amount of people being boarded, who knows if it will live up to its expectations of getting these people to a safe place. With time and the weather working against the

refugees they need to flee on the ship fast. The stories of these four teens are converged, but

who will end up the lucky ones? Salt to the Sea is inspired by the single greatest tragedy in

maritime history.

I would recommend this book to anybody. Not only is it inspired by a true story but there is some

fictional parts in order to keep you turning the page. Anybody would enjoy reading this book

especially if they are a history or WWII buff. Sepetys does a great job integrating all of the teens' stories into one novel.

CM

The Distance Between Us

In The Distance Between Us, Caymen Meyers is a 17 year old girl that lives a rather boring life. She’s stuck helping her mother run a doll store due to their low income. She’s been warned many times from her mother to stay away from the rich because all they care about is money. That changes the day Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother. He’s the representation of a rich boy, he’s over confident and is very charming. Xander and Caymen have an instant connection. The two begin spending time together to try and help one another learn who and what they want to do with their life. As Caymen starts to develop feelings for Xander, life gets in the way. The doll store is quickly losing money and her mother is starting to keep things from her. Will Caymen and Xander make it work? Or are they bound to be separated due to they’re very different lives?

If you enjoy romance books that involve unlikely lovers then this is the perfect book for you. The Distance Between Us will have you rooting for Xander and Caymens relationship, and will be sure to leave you shocked by the end.

-K.T

Burning Midnight

No one knows why or how the spheres are on earth, and the people barely know what they do; what they have learned is: once a sphere is burned, you will receive an enhancement, almost like a super power. Once money becomes involved, people go crazy trying to hunt the rarest spheres down. Seventeen year old David Sullivan “Sully” is just crazy enough to join in. After he finds a sphere that no one knows exists, he faces a question – use it or sell it?

                I really enjoyed reading this book, however sometimes the characters’ decisions were frustrating and I found it hard to understand the why behind their motives. I love fiction novels, but at times the novel seemed beyond sci-fi and became so unrealistic that I could no longer relate to it personally. It is still a good read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys treacherous adventures and loves reading to find th

at their predictions are extremely far off.
-HG

Untwine

If you enjoyed the book If I Stay by Gale Forman then I would absolutely recommend Untwine. It is a book filled with love, heartbreak, loss, and the undeniable strength of a sisters bond. Giselle and her twin sister Isabelle have a bond that can’t be broken. With their parents discussing a divorce things start to slowly fall apart. On their way to Isabelle’s music concert, tragedy strikes. Giselle wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of what happened. However, Giselle can’t move or speak, she’s trapped in her own body and can’t get out. Giselle is then forced to deal with her past, present, and future in order to figure out what happened to her parents and Isabelle. Giselle revisits her memories to see how her family and friends made her the person she is today. But will the memory of her family and friends free her of her body or will she remain trapped in a body of regret and loss?

-K.T

The Terrorist's Son

The Terrorist's Son, by Zak Ebrahim, is a novel about a boy who is woken in the middle of the night by his mother to be rushed out of the house. Later he learns that his father was part of a terrorist act and that he had shot the founder of the Jewish Defense League. Coming from an Arab family, his mother and uncle are afraid of what happens next, even if they had no idea his father had a plan from the beginning. As a reader you get a full look at the struggle the family had to go through and the sacrifices they have to make. 

This book was based off of a Ted Talk, which I love to watch.  It was informal but also explains to you the different struggles the family had to deal with. I would recommend this to someone who reads/watches documentaries, or even someone who wanted a quick read. It was a very interesting book! -K.L

The Cemetery Boys

The Cemetery Boys is a book about friendship, loss, and a mysterious urban legend that follows the town of Spencer. It’s a quick read and has an ending that will be sure to leave you surprised. When Stephens’s dad can no longer pay the bills, they are forced to move back to the odd town of Spencer, Michigan. Stephen is rather unhappy with the sudden move but soon befriends the mysterious twins, Cara and Devon. Devon and the rest of his friends hang out at the cemetery where they partake in reckless activities. However, when things start to get out of control Stephen worries that maybe he chose the wrong group of friends. As the summer continues on, Stephen learns about Spencer’s dark past and the story behind the urban legend. Stephen begins to fear that Devon, and maybe even Cara, are involved with the legend somehow. Follow Stephen on this dark twisted journey where he learns that maybe his friends, were never his friends to begin with.

-K.T

Dark Places

In Gillian Flynn’s novel, Dark Places, Libby Day loses her entire family unexpectedly one night due to her older brother killing all but her. She is quick to point fingers at him and he is sent to jail. Now 23 years later Libby is running out of money and needs to find a way to regain the funds she once had. When she get a mysterious letter in the mail with a phone number on it, she learns that I secret group wants to pry information out of her in exchange for cash. Now, the only thing that can come out of it is the truth.
After reading one of Gillian Flynn’s books, I was interested in reading another. She is an amazing author and this book was phenomenal. I recommend it to people who like a well written mystery.  -K.L

The Cellar

Summer was an average 16 year old girl. She argued with her family, hung out with friends, and loved her boyfriend. But all that changed when she was ripped from a party and woke up in a small, abnormally clean cellar which belonged to man who called himself Clover. Clover referred to Summer as Lily and kept three other girls downstairs; Rose, Poppy, and Violet. The four girls created the perfect “family” for Clover. Although we see Summer transform into Lily, she is still thinking about her family and her boyfriend, Lewis, who is ferociously looking for her.

            Natasha Preston creates a spine-chilling novel that is impossible to put down. It takes you through the thoughts of a terrified, yet strong girl, a psychotic serial killer, and a determined lover. Preston makes us sympathize for her characters and want to go more in depth in their lives and relationships. I recommend this book to all who enjoy a twisted maniac embedded in a love story. 

A.K.