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