The Hate U Give By: Angie Thomas ( Explicit Content )

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When racism is disguised by fear and hidden behind rumors innocent people suffer for it. One of those being Starr Carter's best friend Khalil. Starr lives a double life going from Garden Heights Starr to Williamson Starr everyday. But, when Khalil is wrongly murdered by officer One-Fifteen in front of her eyes her two worlds collide. Smashing into each other with enough force to shake the nation. Starr must choose to speak out against the brutality she has seen or be silent and stay safe. She has to choose whether or not to fight.

Police Brutality is alive today and Angie Thomas does an incredible job in highlighting the flaws and bias in our legal system. She shows an outstanding first person story of what affect crimes like this can have on the people. This is a thrilling story made to pull at the heartstrings. In gives readers a bitter-sweet taste of reality. Although many will try to silence those fighting against oppression there will always be those ready to use their voice as a weapon, and fight back. ( 20/10 stars ) 

Code of Honor By: Alan Gratz

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2 brothers closer than you could imagine. They know everything about one and other too the smallest minute detail. At least they thought they did. Kamran thought he could trust Darius. Until the News Feed came. How could this happen? His brother, his Army Ranger brother, a terrorist. It just wasn't possible. Deep down he knew that it couldn't be true, but how can he prove it. He knew how, and it was farfetched, insane even. A code made so long ago; a code between brothers. Their code of honor. If Darius was still true, maybe just maybe, he could bring him back. Now he just has to convince the US government.

Code of Honor has the perfect blend of heartfelt family, societal issues, and military drama. The exciting twist and turns keep readers hooked. Award winning author Alan Gratz brings about a new perspective on your everyday Armed Forces adventure.

Dark Energy by: Robinson Wells

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Humans have always wondered what lies beyond the dark starry sky. What else is out living and surviving in the universe? What will happen if they find us? Out in the middle of nowhere Iowa, it seems they have. A spaceship larger than a skyscraper has tore through the land killing thousands. The people are enraged, the aliens are silent. For days they stayed locked inside their beaten ship. Until finally they emerge, shocking not just the nation, but the world. When terror and lies threaten to end humanity it is up to a NASA scientist daughter to save not only our world, but theirs too. Friendships formed from the sparks of conflict will grow like wildfires. Whereas dangerous lurking in the dark may hold truths we wish not to know. Events spiral down further and further as new truths are brought to light. Who are these strangers? Why are they here? An who's going to follow?

At first glance Dark Energy may seem as your run of the mill Sci-Fi novel, but i assure you,  Robison Wells has an ace up his sleeve. A rag tag bunch of teens, aliens from amongst the stars, death far greater than ever before, it will draw you in and never let you leave. The story flies right off the page leaving readers itching for more. Hugging the edge of there seat and devouring line after line. No one can get enough of this fantastic new adventure.

Salt to the Sea by: Ruta Sepetys

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A heart wrenching tale of a group of misfits daring escapades during World War 2. Fighting hunger, wounds, language barriers, and persistent russian attacks each wonderful character has his or her own motives. Only one thing brings them all together, passage aboard the Gustloff. Evacuation may be their only chance at survival. Having already braved such hardships the Wilhelm Gustloff appears to be a light shining gallantly through the darkness. Unbeknownst to them this beacon of hope will turn into one of history's greatest maritime disasters. Wills will be tested, friendships strained, alliances broken, and once again death will strike a mighty blow upon his victims.

Ruta Sepetys is a world renowned historical fiction author who is not afraid to show the true horrors of history. Time and time again she has brought the hidden past to light in gruesome yet glorious displays, Salt to the Sea lives of to her fantastic legacy in more ways then one. She wields words like an artist with a paint brush. The scenery and events play like films for all readers. It is with no doubt I can say that any who read this book will find either a lesson to be learned, a thought to be pondered, or a life to be cherished. It is with that I push you, dear reader, to find yourself lost in the pages of this magnificent novel, and simultaneously get lost in time. 

Highly Illogical Behavior By: John Corey Whaley

Highly Illogical Behavior on Amazon.com

  16 year old Solomon hasn't left his house since the 7th grade. His condition is widely referred to as agoraphobia, the fear of going outdoors. In Solomon, like most cases, it developed from a panic disorder. He's carried this all his life, and in 7th grade he climbed in a fountain and decided he was fed up with it. He hasn't left his house in almost 4 years, and he's fine with it.

Lisa on the other hand is not. Ambitious High School Senior Lisa has her sights set on a future in psychology. But, to get into her future school she needs a project that sets her apart from the other applicants. This project being Solomon. She will go to any means to, "fix" Solomon and introduce him back into the real world. Through time Solomon, Lisa, and her boyfriend Clark all become insanely close, maybe too close? When jealousy and confusion strikes, tragedy threatens to pull the new found friendship apart. Will Solomon finally be able to rejoin the world, or will Lisa's attempts at help leave him damaged far worse than before.

Filled to the brim with a lovable cast of characters, everyone can find somebody to connect with in John Corey Whaley's novel exploring the interesting world of an Agoraphobic teenager. This book is nothing short of a masterpiece. Highlighting an interesting viewpoint on the complex and ever changing world of the American teenager, it leaves you breathless. 5/5 stars to John Corey Whaley's accurate representation of the fears of coming of age and growing up, all while dealing with the day to day pressures of the world.

All Fall Down By: Ally Carter

All Fall Down on Amazon

The first book in the thrilling Embassy Row trilogy focuses on the return of Grace Blakely to Adria, home of Embassy Row. Grace is not crazy, despite popular opinion. Her mother was murdered, it wasn't an accident. The scarred man killed her, and now he's going to kill again. Grace pulls out all the stops to discover the Scarred Man's conniving intentions toward some important employee on Embassy Row. With the help of Noah the classic boy next door and official best friend, Megan the tech wiz, Rosie the acrobat, and Alexie her brother best friend since forever, she plans to foil the plots of the Scarred Man. But with secrets better left untold hiding in the shadows, danger lurks beyond ever cornor for our slightly insane protagonist. A past of loss, and a future not yet foreseen, what lies a head may be the downfall of Grace Blakely once and for all.

Full of colorful twist and turns All Fall Down is a classic government adventure novel. With a plot that engulfs the reader into a world full of corrupt politicians and unlikely alliances, you'll never want to put it down. Ally Carter does it again with this wonderful new edition, that is at home in any teen readers bookshelf.

The Honest Truth By: Dan Geminhart

The Honest Truth on Amazon

The mountain was calling him, he had to run away, he had to.
Mark has cancer, he's dying and he knows it. Tired of the coddling, the sad smiles, the looks that are already grieving. He can't do it anymore, won't do it anymore. It's been on off for seven years. Seven years since the phone call that made his mother cry, seven years of treatments and doctors and headaches. He thought he was getting better, for awhile it was clear. But it came back again, and this time hes not sticking around. Armed with the will of a thousand, a backpack, 100$, and his faithful dog Beau. He's going to climb the mountain, even if it kills him

Jess's best friend has disappeared. She knows why he left, but she can't tell. They keep each other's secrets. You don't share secrets. She wants to help him, but doesn't know how to. She could tell the cops, they'd bring him home and he'd be safe. Or she doesn't say anything he can live his dream, or die trying. As the storm gets thicker, so does her dilemma.

The Honest Truth is one of those books that pulls at the heart strings while keeping you on the edge of your seat. A neat new perspective from the eyes of a young boy battling Cancer. Dan Gemeinhart gave an interesting twist to the story by showing both the point of view of Mark and Jess. An excellent quick read for those of us wanting to taste the bittersweet side of life. 

Angelfall by: Susan Ee

Angelfall

The apocalypse has settled on Earth. The Angels have come and the world is taken into their deadly grip. Death and destruction reign true as humanity slowly slips into darkness. What the world needs is a hero but that's not who Penryn is, she is just a daughter of man, a human girl trying to survive. If life wasn't hard enough before the apocalypse it might as ell be hell now (literally). Her schizophrenic mother crippled her sister when they were very young. A disability like that gets you killed now-a-days. How is Penryn supposed to protect little Paige from Angels and Demons if she can't protect her from their own mother? That's one of the many questions Penryn asks herself when Paige is stolen by Angels. SHe must team up with a wingless vengeful Angel named Rafe to save her sister, and maybe just maybe the world in the process. But will she get there in time.

Angelfall is a thrilling apocalyptic novel with twist and turns at every page. An amazing cliff-hanger end accompanied by the growing hunger and suspense for what follows keeps readers on their toes awaiting the next book. The way what we know about religion and pop culture blend together to make this wondrous tale is beyond me. It's a swirling storm of family, trust, and daring. A resistance novel mixed with magic and  a moral. Truly fantastic.

Gifted by: H. A. Swain

Gifted

Throughout the book we see the government trying to dictate who the citizens are. They use special schooling and medical procedures to decide who will be a popstar, a scientist, a warehouse worker, and a big shot. Who a person naturally is and becomes isn’t allowed. Society gets to decide not the individual. That is why we see rebellions more commonly known as “brain activist”. These people are fighting for their right to think freely and be who they want to be, not who they're told to be.The whole population is conforming to one man's idea of a perfect society. In this “utopia” your own thoughts aren’t even yours. They are patented and sold by Chason Industries. Only certain select members of the elite are able to afford ASA’s that allow them to become gifted. Without these procedures you are not allowed to have a career in anything. The big shot corporate manager of Chason Industries controls all of society and this cannot continue. It’s time people stood up for themselves and showed the world that their brains aren’t just there for the taking.


This book is one of the better books I have read but lacks a certain crucial piece of a story. It has no falling action and very little conclusion. It seems that the climax is practically the ending. You have this extreme build up to a moment of pure suspense and then are just dropped right into the end. It is one of my extreme pet peeves and bothers me greatly. 3/5 stars.

Les Misérables By: Victor Hugo

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France, 1789-1799. This is the period of the revolution.
During this time Jean ValJean was condemned to 5 years of hard time.  For multiple attempts at escape he ends up serving 15-20 years. He escapes around year 18 and 19. Once escaping he flees into the countryside. Only to be rejected by all he asks for help. He searches for days tired a weary he come to the house of the bishop. The Bishop shows poor Jean ValJean hospitality and kindness. The experiences Jean has change his outlook on life.

After he leaves the Bishop's house he swears to be a good man for the rest of his days. And acting upon his vow he becomes the  mayor of Montreuil-sur-mer. He is a good man who helps all people and when he sees that a women has been through great hardships in his name he is devastated. He wants to help poor Fantine and that he does he saves her from the ruthless Javert who is always tracking and pursuing Jean ValJean.  He lets her live in his home and tends to her every need. He even saves her poor child Cosette from the ruthless Therniaders. But alas at the sight of seeing Javert again kills Fantine (who never saw her child again). Jean ValJean and Cosette are sent into a world of down spinning doom. A life of hiding and a life of hope. They lead their live the best they can while running from Javert. But there can be no happiness for them. For how can they be happy when after all they are The Miserables.

Les Misérables is a wonderfully written book. It's language and imagery is astounding. The way it pulls at every heart string is truly incredible. The reader feels the pain and misery, but also the love the characters feel. Victor Hugo is a true literary genius. A quote I particularly like in this book is in the dedication it states the following; "... in other words, and with a still wider significance, so long as ignorance and poverty exist on earth, books of the nature of Les Misérables cannot fail to be of use." -Hauteville House 1862

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe By: Benjamin Alire Saenz

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Aristotle doesn't like boys, he never has. He feels that they are mysteries, ones that he can't solve. Most of the time he doesn't even want to be a boy. Someday he thinks he will be a man and understand the world, but how he will get there, he doesn't know. His parents never speak of his brother, he's been in prison ever since Aristotle was small. They won't speak of his brother, his father won't speak of the war, nobody talks about anything, especially Aristotle. He was born knowing how to hide his feelings, he's good at it. Until he meets Dante. Aristotle has never meet a boy like Dante. Dante isn't afraid to be who he is, and with Dante, Aristotle learns to accept himself. Aristotle doesn't understand how he feels about Dante, he doesn't understand why Dante makes him feel this way. Aristotle doesn't realize it yet, but he loves Dante, he just doesn't know why. Or how?

This has been and will always be one of my favorite books. I have never before felt such a deep and personal connection with a character. The way Aristotle grew throughout the book physically, mentally, and emotionally depicted what most kids go through during this part in their lives. How he grew from being a confused lost young boy to a strong man was inspirational. The connection him and Dante shared was beautiful. They complemented and offset each other, they helped each other grow and develop. Something I have learned from this book is that we all have a little Aristotle and a little Dante in all of us. We just need a partner to help us find it

5/5 stars.

The Forever Song By: Julie Kagawa

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Alison Skemento, a fringer turned vampire with a seemingly unreachable goal. Her and her somewhat dysfunctional vampire coven are on a mission across the world to stop the psychotic vampire Sarren from releasing his mutated version of the red lung virus called requiem. She is fueled by revenge due to the death of her lover Ezekiel. He was abducted by Sarren, he was tourchered for hours before he was brutally killed. Allison heard the whole thing via demented voice recording. As she travels she keeps hearing Sarren's sick and twisted message in her mind "Sing my little bird and make it a beautiful song" followed by Zekes cries of agony. But when she finds Zeke back from the dead new surprises are in store. He is a childer of Sarren, a vampire who is controlled by their Sire. Zeke is a vampire, a blood sucking demon who shall never once again regain his innocence. Allison is a monster trying to helplessly cling to her only shred of humanity left. Allison, her Blood Brother Jackal, and her sire Kanin, this team of wayward vampires must find a way to change the fate of humanity.

Once again Julie Kagawa has thrilled her readers with a new installation of the Blood of Eden. The third and finally book is a true literary masterpiece. We see the depths of human emotion from each and every character. Love, hate, rage, desperation, and above all fear. I feel that Julie Kagawa can do no wrong when it comes to dystopian societies. She keeps her readers on the edge of there seats for all 485 pages.

The Giver By: Louise Lowry

The Giver Site Amazon 

The Giver is a fast paced book full of ideas and theories that touch on some of today's most popular topics. These idea’s really grab the reader's attention and is generally the reason I enjoyed it so much. It’s views on the government, what control they should have over the General Population, can translate easily into what is happening today politically. In the Giver the government completely controls what the public does day in and day out it never stops watching and monitoring them. Once one person steps out of line they are killed to keep their opinions from spreading. While in today's government that may not exactly be the case it is close to it we are always watched by the government they monitor what we do on the internet what we post, what we view, they can see it all. Anything we think and want to share can easily be demolished by the government. If we have an opinion that doesn’t match theirs they have the power to take away our means to share it, lock us away, keep our thoughts contained and not let them run wild. 

Another topic the Giver touches on is the importance of emotion. In the Giver emotion isn’t allowed. It is taken away from the public making them emotionless complying robots with no means to express how sad and empty the really are. This is a pressing issue in today's society. Fear of being rejected or showing any sort of emotion toward something causes people to ignore how they feel and hide their true colors. People are so afraid of what someone might think they let them control how they feel, think, and act. It is important to acknowledge this and start expressing how we feel in a civilized matter. We can’t let the fear of others opinions and reactions dictate our right to emotion. If we do we are no better then the robot like citizens in the Giver. Most books have something that always just picks at the back of your mind and annoys you so much but every once in awhile you get that one book that you just can’t find something wrong with and in my personal opinion the Giver is one of those.

I rate this book 5/5 stars.