We Are The Ants By: Shawn David Hutchinson

WARNING: MATURE CONTENT, READER DISCRETION STRONGLY ADVISED!!!

image from Amazon

Henry Denton's life is less than ideal. His mom is working overtime in a job she hates, his jerk brother managed to get his girlfriend pregnant, his Grandmother is slowly loosing herself to Alzheimer's, and his boyfriend committed suicide last year.

Oh yeah, and he is frequently abducted by aliens, who just recently told him that the world will end in 144 days unless he presses a button. Unfortunately for the world, Henry is perfectly happy to sit back and watch it burn, what is there to save anyway?

A book about hope, sorrow, and love, We Are The Ants is a story that is haunting and humorous, sad and soulful, and will have you laughing through tears.

The main thing I liked about this book was the voice of the narrator. Henry has a sense of humor that is as funny as it is sad. He comes off the page as a real person, making the book that much harder to put down.

The main thing I didn't like about this book was the ending, buy hey, no spoilers.

Overall I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

(I would also like to issue a potential trigger warning for this book. It delves deep into themes of depression and suicide as they are both major plot points in the book.)

I'll Give You The Sun By: Jandy Nelson

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Twins Noah and Jude have grown up as a single being. Noah is quiet and artistic, he prefers paint to people. In stark contrast, Jude is outgoing, cliff jumping and sculpting flying woman out of sand. Together, they are an unstoppable force, until they are split apart.

The early years - when they are 13 and 14 - are Noah's story. They tell about his dreams of getting into a prestigious art school, and how he is starting to fall for the new boy next door. Along with his loving mother, he see's the world through the eyes of dreamer.

The later years - age 16 - are Jude's point of view. She is the withdrawn girl who's only artistic ability is sculpting pots that always seem to shatter. She and Noah do not talk. With the help of a mysterious sculptor and a beautiful broken boy, Jude begins to mend her own life. But is it too late to rebuild the bond with her brother so that they are NoahandJude once more?

This book is a story of love, family, and grief. One that will remain in your heart long after you finish it.

The main thing I liked about this book was that it was a puzzle of sorts. You new the begging and end of the story, but you had to fill in what came in between. it really kept me on my toes trying to connect all of the dots.

The only thing I didn't like about this book was that it switched point of views. It is always annoying when you get really into any given story line, only to be forced to wait a whole chapter to find out what happens next.

Overall. I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

I do need to issue a MATURE CONTENT WARNING for this book. Read at your own discretion.

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. 

In The Shadow Of Blackbirds By: Cat Winters

The year is 1918 and the world is at war. But back home in the US, the Spanish Influenza terrorizes civilians and spirit photographers are making a good deal of money off of the many mourners.

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Mary Shelley Black wants nothing to do with the many spirit photographers. She thinks that they are a bunch of frauds that only want money. But when strange things start happening to her after the death of a loved one, she finds that there might be more to spiritualism than she originally thought.

Now Mary Shelley must set off on a journey to find out the truth that surround these strange occurrences. Along the way must be careful not say the wrong thing.

Or catch the flu.

The main thing I liked about this book was the mystery aspect. It is difficult to predict what is going to happen next.

The main thing that I didn't like was that it was very slow to begin with. I almost gave up on it a couple times.

Overall I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.