Maybe One Day

Zoe and Olivia have been best friends since they were 4 and started taking ballet classes together.  They both became accomplished ballerinas and leave their New Jersey school every afternoon to study ballet in Manhattan.  They plan their future lives together- live in a swanky apartment, dance, and have plenty of day to evening wear outfits.  Then "the worst thing that will ever happen" happens- they get cut from their ballet school.  They are then thrust into "ordinary" life.  Olivia takes the setback in stride, even teaching a ballet class at the youth center.  Zoe, the yin to Olivia's yang, cannot figure out what she wants to do now.  She throws away all of her ballet clothes and shoes, cuts her hair, tries out for soccer, which she hates, and is not willing to admit to herself how much she misses dancing.  Then the real tragedy hits- Olivia, Zoe's beautiful, happy, optimistic "other half" is diagnosed with leukemia.  She is admitted to the hospital and begins chemotherapy treatment.  Zoe is forced to continue to live her life with half of herself missing.  While Olivia is in the hospital receiving chemo, Zoe has to go to school, begins teaching the ballet class in Olivia's place, and tries to remain as normal as possible.  
I really loved this story.  So moving and sweet.  And while Zoe is not the most likable protagonist, I really felt moved by the circumstances she is forced to deal with.  She really feels as if Olivia is part of her, and she cannot handle not having her with her.  I think she is only reacting to the harsh reality of life, something many teenagers really don't have to deal with.  I really recommend this book!

The Geography of You and Me

In 2003, New York City lost power.  They city went completely dark.  However, the city came together to form a "party" like atmosphere- stores gave away melting ice cream, there was no looting, and very little crime was reported.  This is the situation that begins The Geography of You and Me, Jennifer E. Smith's latest romance novel.  Lucy and Owen are trapped together during this blackout in their apartment building's elevator.  Lucy lives on the twenty-fourth floor, Owen lives in the basement.  Lucy loves her city, living there her entire life.  Owen has just moved from a small town in Pennsylvania. After his mother died, his father took a job as the building's superintendent, hence the life in the basement.  After being rescued from the elevator, Lucy and Owen head up the building's roof, so Lucy can get a chance to see stars of NYC for the first time.  They share a connection, both feeling more comfortable with each other than they ever have with anyone else.  But then morning comes.  Owen sneaks out while Lucy is still sleeping, to check on his father, and doesn't make it back before Lucy wakes up.  Thinking Owen left her, she leaves and is unsure of how to approach him.  Then life gets in the way.  Lucy's parents move her to Scotland, for her father's work, and Owen's dad loses his job.  Since they can no longer stay in the basement, Owen and his father begin a cross-country trek out west.  So begins the journey of Lucy and Owen.  Each thinking about the other, but not sure how to ever connect again.  Lucy travels throughout Europe, while Owen sees much of the west coast.  Communication is rare, since they are both on the move so much, but they just can't seem to move past that one nigh.  Are they just full of hopeful wishing?  Are they making too much of one evening?  Will they ever reunite?  You have to read the book to find out!
I LOVED Smith's two previous novels- The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and This is What Happy Looks Like.  If you haven't read those two books STOP what you are doing right now and get them.  They are both great reads.  Really cute stories that I couldn't put down.  And while I liked this book, I didn't LOVE this book.  First- Lucy's parents completely ignore her.  And she doesn't seem to have a problem with this.  They are constantly traveling the world, and leaving her at home.  By herself.  And when she finally brings it up, it is sweetly forgiven and swept under the rug.  Second- Owen is still in high school, yet he is traveling the country with his dad, enrolling in schools along the way.  As a teacher, this bugged me.  I don't think it's as easy as it was for Owen to just move in and out of schools.  The fact that he had lots of credits was emphasized ALOT, but it bothered me.  I just didn't love this book as much as her other two.  And while my teenage romance readers will probably love it, I would just say it was ok.

We are the Goldens

Nell and her older sister Layla are so close, it is hard to tell where one begins and the other one ends.  Always together, tell each other everything, no secrets type of sisters.  When Nell was little, she thought they had one name, Nellayla because she thought they were the same.  Now Nell is starting high school where her sister will be a junior, and everything points to being the best years of their life.  They both made the varsity soccer team.  They have the same friends, and Nell can tag along to her older sisters parties.  Then something begins to change.  Nell knows it, can feel it, but can't explain it.  Layla is pulling away from her, keeping secrets, and even lying.  Now Nell has to choose.  Will she keep her sister's secret?  
This is a very quick read.  It's told through Nell's perspective, as if she is talking to her sister, explaining her decision.  I really liked it, even though Layla is such an unlikable character.  Nell is a great protagonist, who is truly tortured by her decision to keep her sister's secret.  I would recommend this to anyone who needs something to get them out of a slump.  

The Girl of Fire and Thorns

Elisa is the second daughter of a king.  She is also God's chose one.  She carries the "godstone" under her navel and through this is linked to Him.  She is married to a king that has a kingdom in turmoil, but he ignores her and presses her to keep their marriage a secret.  Since Elisa carries the Godstone, she is constantly at risk.  Savages want to rip it from her belly, sorcerers want to use it for black magic, and a revolutionary thinks it could be there savior.  When she is kidnapped from the castle, she is forced to learn to take care of herself, and keep herself alive.
I enjoy this type of fantasy novel.  It is set in a different time, but is still believable.  Elisa makes a complete 180 during the course of the novel, and really had me rooting for her by the end.  She is not a very likable character at the beginning, so I was glad to see her make a transformation.  This is a trilogy, with books 2 and 3 already published, but I didn't jump to read them immediately.  I think I will eventually, but I have to be in the right mood for fantasy.

If I Stay

Mia Hall has a choice to make.  As she stands in the ICU, watching the doctors and nurses care for her, she realizes she can decide if she wants to live or die.  Both her parents were killed in the car accident that has put Mia into a coma, and she is barely hanging on.  Now the choice is hers to make.  Mia's life is told through flashbacks.  She is an accomplished cello player, with an audition to Julliard behind her, and confidence she will be accepted.  She has a boyfriend, Adam, a musician who understands and loves her.  She also has a best friend that is her other half.  But is that enough to live without her parents?
This is a great book, a quick read that leaves the reader wondering what will happen.
I knew this book was currently being made into a movie, so I thought I would check it out.  I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to students.  Especially those that need a quick read.  It's short and not intimidating.  I'm reading the second book now because I couldn't want to see what happens next.

The movie is coming out in August.

The Knife of Never Letting Go

Todd Hewitt is going to be a man in 30 days, when he turns 13.  Since he is the last boy in Prentisstown, this will be a welcome change.  Todd is an orphan.  His father was killed in the war, and his mother was killed by the disease that killed every woman on his planet and gave men the ability to hear thoughts.  Every one's thoughts.  Even animals.  Todd lives with his neighbors, Ben and Cillian, and hearing thoughts of others is a curse.  Todd calls it their "Noise" and it is enough to drive anyone crazy.  The noise is constant, and can make you forget who you are.  While out with his dog, Manchee, Todd notices something different.  Silence. This is something he has never heard before, and upon investigation, finds a girl.  He's never seen a girl, but knows what she is because she is so different from him.  And silent.  She can hear his thoughts though, and together they run away from Prentisstown, in search of safety.  The men of Todd's town are raising an army and plan on taking over every village on the planet.
Overall I liked this book ok.  The narrative is written with grammar and spelling mistakes.  Its written as Todd would speak, which takes a little getting used to.  Todd is uneducated, so I see thy the author chose this style..  The biggest problem I had with it, is that it's one disaster upon another.  Seriously, can't this kid catch a break?  It goes into unbelievable pretty quickly, one character keeps coming back over and over and over.  I know I have had students really like this trilogy, but I don't think I will continue to read the next two books,

Someday, Someday, Maybe

Frances Banks has an approaching deadline.  She gave herself 3 years to make it as an actress in New York City.  After she graduated from college, her boyfriend, Clark, went to law school, and she figured if three years is good enough for him to reach his goal, she should be able too as well.  However, she only has 6 months left, and all she has to show for it is one commercial an ugly Christmas sweater.  She begins to doubt her decision and thinks she should just marry Clark and move to Chicago.  She is taking acting classes and is encouraged by a showcase for the students that gets her an agent (FINALLY) but not much else.  She really works hard to never give, even though she is really knocked down.  I thought this was a great book about never giving up on your dreams, and the hard work is sometimes takes to get where you are meant to be.
I did enjoy this book.  The writing, is quick and witty.  I loved Franny, and think she is a very likable character, even though she makes lots of questionable choices- especially when it comes to James Franklin, the slick actor in her class that is a known flirt.  I admit I picked up this book because it was written by THE Lorelei Gilmore, and as a Gilmore Girls fan, I thought it was something I had to read.  I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was.  However, Franny is in her mid-twenties, and though nothing is inappropriate in the book, I'm not sure it would work in a high school library. I don't know how well students would relate to her.