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. 

What Waits in the Woods By: Kieran Scott

What Waits in the Woods on Amazon

Jeremy, Penelope, Lissa, and Callie all venture into the woods. 4 nights, that's all it should be, then Callie will be home. Shopping in New York, with her mom. 4 nights in the woods, how bad can that be? She tries her best to stay positive but a mysterious laughing man, ghost stories, and a tumble of a bridge begin to shake her confidence. Lost and drenched the groups seeks refuge with a new comer, Ted. With friendships and relationships dwindling they follow their new guide skeptical, but trusting in their time of need. Foundations begin to shake when  it seems that an outside force is threatening their lives. What will it take to survive in the woods? Who will have strength to survive? Hidden secrets and lies may be the end of our protagonist. We may not want to know what waits in the woods...

The classic horror story for all those who absolutely love them. Filled with a wilderness adventure, lore like no other, and an exciting plot twist that will leave you on the edge of your seat. While I may not have loved this book, mostly because i'm not into horror, I just know you guys out there with an eye for the spooky sides of things will devour this new novel with a passion. 

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. 

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 Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak: The most reading fun I've had in a long time!

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Guys. This book is so much fun. This book is read until it's too late to finish your homework fun. It's you forget to text your friends back fun.

Written by Missouri author Brian Katcher, The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak is a story from two points of view. Ana is straight-laced, and lives with very controlling and demanding parents. her life revolves around her college applications and living up to others' very high expectations. Zak, on the other hand, is a slacker. He'd much rather being playing video games or table-top RPGs than working on school work or joining a club.

When Zak's attempt at plagiarism goes awry, he and Ana are forced to compete together in state Academic Bowl championships-- forcing Zak to miss Washingcon, his favorite even of the year. While Zak does end up being able to attend his nerdy convention, it's definitely not in the way that he originally thinks-- and a very angry Ana is along for the ride.

This book is as fun as it sounds and more. Don't get me wrong-- it has serious moments and moments that will make you upset, but it's definitely a feel-good book. I loved being able to see the two different sides of the story. Zak and Ana have such different perspectives that the book stays very lively and interesting throughout. Books don't often make me laugh out loud, but this one certainly did.

This book is on the list of Gateway novels for 2016-- so there are some places that are a little mature. There's some swearing and a few inappropriate jokes, but it's certainly fine for a PG-13 reader.

I'd give this book a 6 out of 5 stars, but we made the rule last year that 5 out of 5 would be our max.

Outrun the Moon

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Hello, Bode Book Reviewers!

I know it's summer, and I know that some of you are reading (maybe not this...but something!) Don't forget that you are free to post here over the summer if you'd like! :) I've been doing some reading, and I'd love to share some of the awesome books that I've read so far!

Today I'd love to talk about Outrun the Moon by Stacy Lee. Set in the early 1900s in San Fransisco, California, Outrun the Moon is about 15 year-old Mercy Wong. Mercy has grown up in the boisterous and beautiful China Town, but she wants to do more than marry and work in Chinatown forever. She aspires to go to a fancy school for girls and someday run her own business.

However, her story begins in April of 1906-- when an event was about to shake the world of San Fransisco very literally. She must cope with the aftermath-- and continue to struggle with the stereotypes and difficulties of being Chinese in world that focuses more on her looks than her abilities.

Lee does a fantastic job describing Mercy's life through vivid imagery and dialogue. I love the way that the book taught me about a point of view and a historical event that I don't know a lot about. She does a great job showing the events of the story rather than telling us what happens. I did struggle a little bit with the beginning of the book-- it's a little slow and focuses primarily on character development rather than action. If you stick through it, however, the climax and end of the story make it worth the journey!

I'd give Outrun the Moon a 4/5 stars.