Review: Feed

Feed by M.T. Anderson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I know this book is very popular and I've wanted to read it for a long time. I listened to the audio version over the weekend while doing yard work outside. The narrator was fantastic and did a great job with varying characters.

Overall, I was left with a blah by the end. The characters live in a society where they have a "Feed" that is connected with their brain. It streams a live feed and recognizes your like and dislikes and you can also communicate with people through it.

I think if I read this book when it first came out, I would have been more impressed, but now that there are so many sci-fi dystopia books I think there are better.

Strong language is in this book. It is currently not at the LV IMC, and I don't think I'll be purchasing it.

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Review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book soooo much! A great and realistic look at teenagers and the drama within their lives. A fast read - chapters only a few pages long so you'll fly through it.

Lara Jean is one of the 3 Song sisters. Their family lost their mother at an early age so older sister Margot has stepped effortlessly into the role with Lara Jean learning and youngest sister Katherine "Kitty" at only 9 years old.

The girls are extremely close and are a well oiled machine, but it now time for Margot to go off to college and she has chosen a school in Scotland! Lara Jean feels the pressure of trying to be able to keep the house in tact with her sisters absence and wants to make her proud.

Don't worry - it gets better. Lara Jean has always had a habit of writing love letters to the boys she has loved over the years. She writes them out completely, sealed in an envelope with an address. One day Lara Jean's letters go missing and Peter Kavinsky (8th grade crush) approaches her at school about the letter! She feels like life should be over.

More drama develops as Lara Jean's next door neighbor, Josh, and Margot's boyfriend also receives a letter! Margot and Josh break up at the beginning of the book, but it still doesn't change the fact that Josh now knows how Lara Jean felt about him! In order to save face - Lara Jean and Peter pretend to go out to save Lara Jean from embarrassment of Josh and to help Peter get over his breakup with Genevieve.

The books is fun, and the characters are enjoyable. There is some language in the book, but nothing surprising, and I know students are saying. I'm considering adding this to our YA/H level section in our library because I love the realism of this book and how students will relate to it. I"ll definitely read the next book P.S. I still Love You.


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Review: Red: A Crayon's Story

Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another adorable book that gives our kids something to talk about, think about, and celebrate! Poor "Red" a crayon who is the color blue, but has a red label on it. Everyone just wants red to fit in and do the work of a red crayon. That is until Purple sees potential! The perfect book to share with youngsters to let them be who they want to be and seeing their true potential.

Cute & fun!

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Review: Exit, Pursued by a Bear

Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Meet Hermoine, senior cheerleader living in Canada. She lives in a small town, so small that sports are a small thing, but cheer is what they are known for. Hermoine and her best friend, Polly, are co-captains of the squad - this year is going to be great. However there town is cursed with 2 things. In each grade it seems that one person is killed by a drunk driver and another becomes pregnant before graduating high school. Hermoine's class already lost a classmate to a drunk driver in grade school, and nobody has plans to be the one who gets pregnant.

That is until a cheerleader does. Don't let this summary fool you into thinking this is a YA easy read. The story built around what happens and how it happens leads to what could be interesting discussion as well as real take away moments for teenagers.

While there were parts of the book that left me "mehhh," I credit E.K. Johnston with her ability to create strong female characters and friendships. Too many times YA novels leave me disappointed with mean girls and the lack of support of girls raising other girls up. This novel does just that. During some hard times, and tough decisions, friendships are fierce and do not waiver - which I think might just the perfect message for some of our YA readers.

It's a very quick read - only 3-5 pages per chapter. Don't pass it up - I think you'll find something there worth thinking about it.

Sorry friends, this will not be in the LV IMC due to mature content & language.

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Review: Design Diva

Design Diva by Margaret Gurevich
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Fans of Project Runway will gobble up this series! A short, quick read - 9 chapters and less than 100 pages. Chloe LOVES fashion. She hopes to be a fashion designer when she grows up. Her favorite TV show is Design Diva. A fashion design reality show where people present their designs to 3 judges. Of course one is snarky and rude, the other complimentary and the third is super handsome. Chloe and her best friend watch the show every week, and this week the show announced there will be a competition specifically for teens! Of course auditions will be near Chloe's house in California so she begins sketching and hopes to make it to the competition. No story would be complete without a rival named Nina who also wants to make it to the competition. Back story: Nina has been stealing Chloe's ideas for years...I think we see where this is going.

This is just the 1st book in the Chloe by Design series. Because they are so short, I'm going to continue the series.



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Review: Thirteen Reasons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had to re-read this book since the Netflix series started. I watched the first episode and suddenly couldn't take it because I couldn't remember what happened in the book, and I wanted to see how much the book would be changed for a film adaptation. So take two, I read the book in a few days and am slowly following behind with the series.

I love re-reading a book - looking at it from a different lens depending what is happening in your own life. When I first read this book, I didn't have children. Now, I have a 7 and 8 year-old. Reading this as a parent made me look at this book differently. I started thinking about my own children when they are in high school and the struggles and pressures they will be faced with.

Sure, Asher's books isn't that realistic in the fact that there is a lot of planning Hannah has to do ahead of time in order for her tapes to go out and start to circulate after her death. What Asher does is give Hannah a voice after she is gone. Answering the question of why - which most families and friends are left with and don't get an answer.

It is apparent that Asher lost someone to suicide and really thought a lot about what it must have been like for this person, and what they were going through before coming to the decision to die. A friend I had in high school committed suicide in college. We were left with so many questions. There were no answers and no note. It devastated so many people around him and there will always be a void.

This book is creative, intricate and though provoking. We don't know how fragile people are, we don't know how one action or word could be their tipping point. This book lets the reader think about everything that happened to Hannah - no matter how big or minuscule - these things lead up to her unhappiness and not having an outlet.

I hope this book teaches kindness, compassion and the ability to accept those for who they are. Thank you Jay Asher for giving us something to think about.

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Review: All the Bright Places

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Violet and Finch first meet at the top of the bell tower. Both contemplating suicide. Less than a year ago, Violet's sister was killed in a car crash when they were driving home from a party. Finch is struggling with depression.

I'm always drawn to books told in multiple perspectives and this one drew me right in. I'm a sucker for a good YA story with teen wonderment. It brings me back to a time when I felt I "knew it all" and loved fast & hard.

Theodore Finch is known as "Freak" around his school due to erratic behavior and a short fuse which has caused him now weekly sessions with the school counselor.

Violet feel lost without her sister. Once an aspiring writer, she co-wrote for an online web magazine with her sister. She has lost the drive to write or do much of anything. Her sister was her best friend and now she is trying to figure out where she belongs in a school she is fairly new to from when her family moved from California to Indiana.

Finch and Violet are bound together immediately due to Finch helping her down from the bell tower and saving her from following through with jumping to her death. In order to keep her secret he tells everyone she saved him. Finch later makes sure they are partners for a history project in which they are assigned to "wander Indiana." Find the great natural wonders in their home state.

For fans who enjoyed The Fault within our Stars & 13 Reasons Why.
Unfortunately this book will not be on the LV IMC shelves as it is too mature. I will be donating my copy to the DGS library.

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Review: Book Scavenger

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book! Best suited for grades 5-7. Rebecca Caudill 2018 nominee.

Book Scavenger is book 1 in the series. The book did start out a little slow, but with a nice introduction to the characters.

Emily's family moves around a lot! So much that her parents have started a blog entitled 50 homes in 50 states. Emily and her brother, Matthew, have learned to be adaptable and go with the flow. With her brother's obsession with the band Flush, he always seems to find a group of friends to connect to when they move. Emily is a bit of a loner and reads. One thing she has that can take her no matter where she is moves is the Book Scavenger game. An online game that can be played in any state because people are constantly hiding books and offering clues to scavengers to find them. Scavengers can find and hide books and will receive points.

Emily starts to become friendly with her neighbor James and an instant friendship is developed. James also likes logic puzzles so he is interested in the book scavenger game too. When Emily wants to take James to find a book, that's when the real adventure begins. Emily finds a book she believes someone has meant to hide, but it is actually a book that Book Scavenger creator, Mr. Griswold loses when someone tries to mug him in the subway station.

Emily and James don't realize the danger they could be in by having this book. Instead they discover they are part of a game Mr. Griswold has created - his newest game yet!

A book too fun to pass up. I'm looking forward to book 2 - The Unbreakable Code.

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