#21--Whatever Happened to Janie? by Caroline B. Cooney

So, back in probably middle school or early high school I read the first book in this series The Face on the Milk Carton.....and I probably read it several times.  My students love it too and so I thought it was high time I finally continued on in the series.

In the first book, Janie Johnson picks up her best friend's milk carton at lunch for a swig after eating her sandwich.  This was back when milk cartons had pictures of missing children on them (all you children of the 80's know what I'm talking about).  Janie sees a picture of a 3-year-old girl on the carton, and she immediately thinks it is her.  But there is no reason why it would be her.  She has two doting parents who love her.  She can't be the girl, Jennie Spring, on the milk carton.  Janie obsesses over this picture, to the point that she actually writes a letter to the family--simply to let them know she is ok.  She never means to send this letter; however, it falls out of her binder and someone finds it and mails it to her.  It turns out that Janie really is Jennie and she was taken from a mall in New Jersey when she was three by a woman named Hannah Javensen, the Johnson's estranged daughter who had joined a cult many years before.  Hannah had brought Janie/Jennie to her parents, telling them that the little girl was her daughter.  Her parents had no reason to not believe her.  However, because they were afraid that the cult would track them down and try to take Janie from them, they changed their last name and moved.  The first book ends with both sets of parents meeting, at an impasse....trying to figure out what to do.

The second book picks up with Janie getting ready to leave the parents who raised her in order to get to know her biological family--two parents, three brothers, and one sister.  Nothing goes smoothly.  Jodie, Jennie's slightly older sister, had visions of nightly slumber parties with her newly found sister, her biological parents keep thinking that they can wipe away the past 13 years, and her oldest brother, Stephen is angry at the world, but mostly at Jennie for all the stress and pain her disappearance has cause both him and the family....and the younger twins, well, they are so wrapped up in each other that they don't seem to register the latest addition to the family.  Every once in a while there is a bright spot where Janie forgets that she isn't supposed to be happy with these strangers, but eventually, she demands that she be allowed to go back to her parents, the ones who raised her.

There are three more books in this series, with the last one having been published just this year.  So, I think I need to find out the rest of Janie/Jennie's story before another 20 years goes by!

Happy Reading!!

#14--The Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend)--Kody Keplinger

When I was at the YA Lit conference in Phoenix in January, the Phoenix Book Company was there with some books for sale.  I picked up a few titles and this was one of them.  I was intrigued by the title--and the fact that it was almost 50% off didn't hurt either!

Bianca, a high school senior, is our protagonist.  The story opens with her at a local club for teenagers, The Nest.  The only reason she is there is because her two best friends, Casey and Jessica, have dragged her there, again.  She is talking to Joe, the bartender, when Wesley Rush, the school "man-slut" approaches her as a way to hopefully get the attention of her more desirable friends. He has nicknamed her "The Duff--Designated Ugly Fat Friend" and she promptly throws her Cherry Coke in his face.  Unfortunately life at home is unraveling.  Her mother, who travels A LOT for her job as an inspirational speaker has had divorce papers delivered to Bianca's dad, an on-the-wagon alcoholic, from afar.     

As an escape from reality, Bianca and Wesley start having an enemies-with-benefits relationship that quickly escalates to them meeting up several times a week for a tryst.  Wesley's family is just as dysfunctional as Bianca's, maybe even more so.  His family is very wealthy and his parents spend much of their time traveling.  His younger sister lives with their grandmother--who despises Wesley, so much of the time, he is in his huge mansion of a home alone.  In the meantime, Bianca's father falls off the wagon when he realizes that the divorce papers are for real and goes on a drinking binge for several weeks.  Bianca doesn't feel like she can confide in anyone about this, so Casey and Jessica feel even more out of touch with her--they also don't know about her relationship with Wesley either.  However, Wesley has witnessed the destruction Bianca's father is leaving in his wake and protects her from his rage.  By the time Bianca discovers that she has feelings for Wesley, she has determined that she has to end their relationship because he could never love a "Duff".

This book was written by an 18-year-old....and it was somewhat obvious.  About halfway through, I was rather disgusted with the language used, unnecessarily most of the time, and the lessons that were being taught to high schoolers about making light of sex and how free they were with it.  I don't have my head in the sand....I know high school kids have sex.  However, it is not something I condone and I didn't like how this book made light of two teenagers jumping in the sack on a regular basis.  I almost put the book down, but decided that I wanted to see how it ended.  In the end, after Bianca tries, unsuccessfully, to move on from Wesley, they both solve some of their family issues and they end up back together.  I'm not sure how realistic this is....it tied itself up a little too neatly at the end, for all the mess that they made throughout the book.

This title will definitely NOT be going on the shelves of my library--and I think I will be giving my copy away.    On to happier reading this week, I hope!

Happy Reading!!

#13--Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip--Jordan Sonnenblick

I may have mentioned in the past that Jordan Sonnenblick has been a visiting author at my school....and we have been lucky enough to have him come TWICE!!

Curveball is his latest title to come out and it has been very popular with my students, so, since my goal was to read at least two books last week by previously visiting authors, I grabbed this one off one of my many stacks of unread books around my house.

At the end of his 8th grade year, star pitcher, Peter Friedman has a career-ending injury in his elbow.  After spending the summer in physical therapy after surgery, Peter isn't sure what his freshman year will be like since he is no longer an athlete.  His best friend, and pitching partner, AJ doesn't believe that Peter won't be back on the diamond come spring.  And he is working hard to get Peter back into peak physical condition, no matter what it takes.  Peter can't bring himself to tell AJ the truth--that he can never throw a ball again.

Fortunately, Peter also has photography--the passion that he and his grandfather, a professional photographer, both share.  When his grandfather realizes that he is beginning to suffer from signs of Alzheimer's, he gives Peter all of his high-grade camera equipment.  Peter has signed up for a photography class as one of his electives, and when he proves, on the first day, that he knows quite a bit about photography, the instructor sends him over to the advanced class....and within minutes, another cute freshman joins him...the only two freshmen in the class.  Peter and Angelika get paired together to work on projects, and Peter really likes her, but Angelika isn't interested in dating someone who can't be honest with those he cares about--Peter hasn't told AJ the truth, and he also hasn't told his parents what is going on with his grandfather.

One of the things that I really like about Sonnenblick is that he brings back main characters from other books as peripheral characters.  If you hadn't read his other books, the characters wouldn't necessarily jump out at you, but they are nice surprises every time it happens.  This time around, San and Emily from Zen and the Art of Faking It make an appearance, and it was nice to see them again, a little bit older in this outing.

This book made me both laugh and tear up, which Sonnenblick tends to do--and is the mark of a great book, in my mind.

Happy Reading!!!

#12--Heaven Looks A Lot Like the Mall--Wendy Mass

Each year our PTO sponsors a visit from an author.  And each year, I buy as many of the author's books as I can get my hands on--for the express purpose to have them signed....and to hopefully read, someday.  Several years ago Wendy Mass was our visiting author, and I bought all of her books that were out at that time...and there were quite a few of them.  In an effort to get through more of our past authors, I decided to read two past authors' books last week.  Heaven Looks A Lot Like a Mall was the first one I picked up.

I wasn't completely sure what to expect of it, but the description sounded somewhat intriguing.....Tessa, a 16-year-old, has an accident in gym class that puts her in a coma.  While in the coma, Tessa has an experience, a la It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol where she is shown events from her past in an effort to help her change her ways.  All of the events take place at the local mall where her parents both work and where Tessa has spent much of her life growing up.  The story is told in verse....which I'm not usually opposed to, but other than the fact that this was a very quick read because of the verse, I don't really think it added to the plot.

Tessa is not a likable character....I found very little about her to be redeeming.  At the end of the story, it was obvious that Tessa had regrets, but I'm not sure how she will change and whether or not the changes will be believable...or if she will revert to her old ways of lying and conniving.

Overall, it was a quick read, but I'm not in love with this book.  I'm sure I have some students who would like it, but I would have a hard time selling it.  Of the Wendy Mass books I've read thus far, A Mango-Shaped Space is still my favorite.

Happy Reading!!

#11-Ten by Gretchen McNeil

OMG!!!  (This is not a phrase I use, if at all, so that is momentous in and of itself.)  I often lose track of time when I'm reading a good book.  But today I was almost late to school for meetings because I was so sucked into this book!!!  We got Ten a week or two ago and it immediately caught my attention when I was cataloging it because it sounded like a remake of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (also known as Ten Little Indians), just with a modern twist and teenagers as the victims.  I love a good Agatha Christie story and And Then There Were None is my favorite....partly because I was in the play version in high school and partly because it was the first Christie I ever read.  I often tell my students who are looking for a good mystery that I've never been able to figure out who did it in an Agatha Christie book until she is explaining it to the audience....and I challenge them to try to figure it out before the end if they can.  So far, no one has been able to do it, but I'm still waiting for someone to be able to do it.

Anyway, back to Ten.  I read the first chapter last week and then life got in the way.  I was able to pick it up and read the next ten chapters over the weekend but had other things going on and wasn't able to get beyond that.  So, today after school and before having to get back for meetings, I decided to sit down and work on it.  I read more than 200 pages in less than 2 hours....that is how good this book is!!  Because I knew the Christie story, I had an idea that there was a pattern to the murders (in Christie's novel, the murders are based on the children's rhyme, Ten Little Indians--hence the original name of the book), but it took a little while before I was able to put the pieces together.  I also knew that the killer would be someone from within the group.  I did not figure out who the killer was or why he/she was bent on revenge until the end....just like a Christie!!

I refuse to say any more about this book as I don't want to give anything else away.  But you have to read this book!!!!

Happy Reading!!!

The original poem used in Agatha Christie's book and play.....

Ten little Indian boys went out to dine;

One choked his little self and then there were nine.

Nine little Indian boys sat up very late;

One overslept himself and then there were eight.

Eight little Indian boys travelling in Devon;

One said he'd stay there and then there were seven.

Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks;

One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.

Six little Indian boys playing with a hive;

A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.

Five little Indian boys going in for law;

One got in Chancery and then there were four.

Four little Indian boys going out to sea;

A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.

Three little Indian boys walking in the zoo;

A big bear hugged one and then there were two.

Two Little Indian boys playing in the sun;

One got all frizzled up and then there was one.

One little Indian boy left all alone;

He went out and hanged himself and then there were none.

#5--Tears of the Tiger by Sharon Draper

I'm a little behind on my postings....I actually read this one closer to the beginning of the year.  At the beginning of the story Andy and his friends Rob, BJ and Tyrone, go out after the big basketball game to celebrate.  Three of the boys, Rob, Andy and Tyrone, get drunk and on their way home, Andy, who was driving, wrecks the car.  Andy, BJ and Tyrone are able to get out, but Rob does not, and he is declared dead at the scene.  The rest of the story takes place over the course of the remainder of the school year and is told through homework assignments, letters, and conversations.  Andy does not handle his guilt or depression well after the accident and the adults around him are no help.  His parents keep telling him to put the "unfortunate incident" behind him and to "be a man."  Andy is able to convince his school counselor, as well as the outside help he is getting, that he is fine.  In the meantime, his grades are falling, he is skipping school, and the only one to really see how he is handling everything is his girlfriend Keisha, who is starting to fray at the edges as well with having to deal with Andy and his mood swings. 

While I don't agree with how Andy handled things, I was more upset with how the adults in his life treated him.  This was a very easy read and I think it would resonate with some students.  There is a positive message to come out of the tragic happenings of the story, that I hope those who read it can catch on to as well.

Happy Reading!!

#3 Shelter by Harlan Coben

I spent a long weekend this January in Phoenix, AZ.  I was there to attend a conference for work about what is new in YA literature.  I've been going to this conference annually since I started working as a librarian and I look forward to it every year.  The presenter is Patti Tjomsland and she is amazing!  I have actually travelled from PA to FL, VA, and now AZ to see her present!

My mom went with me and we made a girls' weekend out of it.  We spent some time hiking and just relaxing.  One of the places we went to was Tempe Marketplace, a beautiful open-air mall that had live music each night of the weekend.  We actually ended up at the Marketplace twice because the day we tried to go to the Phoenix Botanical Gardens there was a marathon and every road we tried to take was blocked for the race, so we gave up and headed to the Marketplace, simply because we knew we could get there!  We both grabbed a book to sit by one of the fantastic fireplaces situated throughout....

 



At several different junctures, Mom needed to get up and move around....while I sat glued to my seat to finish this story!  Mickey has witnessed his father's death and since his mom has been sent to rehab after spiraling down after her husband's death....and now Mickey is living with his Uncle Myron, much to his chagrin and dismay.  Right before school starts, Mickey goes to a meeting at his new school for all new students.  There he meets Ashley, who he quickly falls for.  They spend the next few weeks getting to know each other, until the day Ashley just disappears.  Being tired of losing so many people in his life, Mickey isn't about to let her go that quickly.  He goes to great lengths to find out what has happened to Ashley.  There are all kinds of twists and turns in this story that I didn't see coming.  There is a second book in this series, Seconds Away, and I can't wait to read it!!  Fortunately, my library has a copy of the second title.....but it is checked out, so it may be a while before I get the chance to read it.  But read it, I will!

Happy Reading!!!

#2 Leap Day by Wendy Mass

Imagine only celebrating your real birthday once every four years....that is what Leapers do.  Leapers are those special few people who are born on February 29.  Josie Taylor is one of those special few, and today is her 4th birthday...but she is actually turning 16.  The story takes place over the course of Josie's birthday and is told from a number of different points of view.  It follows Josie and her friends and family from the beginning of the day to an end-of-the-day celebration at the lake where one of her friends tells her a big secret.  The author gives insight as to the future of some of the characters and what they will be like, but not fore everyone.  If you're going to explore the future of several minor characters, why not do it for all? 

Wendy Mass was our visiting author several years ago and this is the second of her books that I've read.  I am rather ambivalent toward this title, but really liked the other title I read, A Mango-Shaped Space. 

Happy Reading!!

#42--The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

 

 

Much like books with dogs as the main characters, books about kids with cancer can really only end one way....and The Fault in Our Stars follows that credo, just not in the way I expected.  My brother-in-law gave me John Green's The Fault in Our Stars several months ago and when I finally picked it up last week, I couldn't put it down (unfortunately life got in the way and forced me to set it down several times). 

 

Hazel has been terminal since she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 13, but thanks to a miracle drug, Phalanxifor, she has had an additional three years she wasn't expecting to get.  Her mom, fearing that Hazel is depressed and without friends, forces her to go to Support Group--Hazel would much rather be watching America's Next Top Model (heck, she'd rather be doing a lot of things) than attending Support Group.  But at this particular meeting she meets Augustus Waters. 

 

Augustus and Hazel fall in love over the course of the story, as they are of the few who really gets what the other is going through.  One of Hazel's passions is the the book An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten, an American recluse living in Amsterdam.  Augustus manages arrange for his "wish," provided by The Genie Foundation, to be used to take Hazel to Amsterdam to meet Mr. Van Houten.  This meeting does not go the way either of them had envisioned....all Hazel wants is to know what happened to the characters in the story after it abruptly ended.  I'll leave it at that....don't want to give away the end to all those who haven't picked this up yet--which I highly recommend that you do!

 

I found myself both laughing and tearing up at different points in this story.  And this one is definitely going on my wish list for the library!!

 

Happy Reading!!

#41--Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys by Kate Brian

When I ordered this book for the library last spring, it intrigued me, so I was rather excited to see it come back in last Tuesday when I was looking for a quick easy read.  It was a good escapist read for the middle of the week.  :)

Megan Meade is an army brat; she has lived all over the world, and she's tired of it.  She has finally found her place on the varsity soccer team at her latest school in Texas and even has a best friend.  When her parents come home and announce they are moving....to South Korea, Megan puts her foot down.  There is no way she is moving.  Her parents give her the option of going to live in Boston with her father's friend from med school, John McGowan, who, along with his wife, Regina, have seven boys....yes, seven.  Megan remembers them from the last time she saw them, about 9 years ago, and cringes.  But decides that living with seven boys has to be better than moving to South Korea, so she takes the plunge.

Fortunately (or unfortunately, however you want to look at it), the McGowan boys Megan remembers are all grown up--and they look like they could have stepped out of an Abercrombie ad.  Megan has to deal with the antics of the younger boys and her attraction for one of the older boys--who happens to be dating her competition on the soccer team!

Over the course of the first few weeks in Boston, Megan makes the soccer team, is able to pull Miller (the McGowan son who has Asperger's) out of his shell, makes friends (and enemies), gets grounded for the first time ever, and even saves the butt of one of her new "brothers".

Some of the timing in the book make the events a little unbelievable (like being able to befriend Miller in a matter of days), but overall, it was a cute, quick read.  There were even a few times when I found myself quietly giggling to myself.

Happy Reading!!

#40--Borderline by Allan Stratton

The weather today when I left school was wet, dreary, and downright miserable.  Which made me want to curl up with a good book.

Sami Sabiri is first-generation Iranian-American.  His father fled his homeland as a child and grew up in Canada.  Sami's dad is strict and has high expectations for his son.  Expectations that Sami doesn't find all that easy to live up to.  He is the only Muslim student at his private school, which he refers to as Academy Hell because of the bullying he goes through at the hands of Eddy, a football player with a father who covers a multitude of sins with his checkbook.

Sami's dad has invited him on a trip to Toronto that will be combined with a business trip, a nice father-son getaway.  But at the last minute, he has to cancel the plans for Sami to join him.  Not only does this make Sami mad, but it also makes him suspicious that maybe his dad is having an affair. 

Several nights after his father returns from Toronto, Sami is webcam-chatting with his two best friends, Marty and Andy (who lives across the street).  Andy reports to Sami that there are people dressed in black, with dogs, outside Sami's house.  Sami goes to investigate, thinking that Eddy and his cronies have actually followed through with their threats toward him.  Instead, the FBI bursts into the house and hauls Dr. Sabiri out of the house in handcuffs and separates Sami and his mom for hours, questioning them, and destroys their house and much of their belongings.

It takes a while for the Sabiris and their lawyer to find out where Dr. Sabiri is being held and what the charges are.  In the meantime, the arrest of a research director (Dr. Sabiri) at a lab that stores anthrax, smallpox, and other viruses and linked to an alleged terrorist group, the Brotherhood of Martyrs, is all over the news.  The only person linked to the terrorist cell who was not arrested was the alleged leader, Tariq Hasan.  Despite their strained relationship, Sami takes it upon himself to try to prove his father's innocence, at any cost.

This story had me hooked from the very beginning and I couldn't wait to see how it ended.  There were a few surprises in store that I didn't see coming, which is always a refreshing change.  This is definitely going on my list of recommendations for my students.  It is a ripped-from-the-headlines story that will hopefully make them think.

Happy Reading!!!

#38--The Exeter Blitz by David Rees

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/england/exeter-cathedral **

As I tend to dedicate much of my reading to historical fiction, I try to read about events that I don't always know much about.  Today's book is an example.  I have always heard about the Blitz occurring in London during WWII, and that there were other places that were bombed as well.  However, I was not aware that the Blitz was carried out far to the eastern side of London.  After the British destroyed the German port of Lubeck (of which there was very little point other than to try out new weapons), known for very little except its beauty and antiquity, Hitler was furious and then ordered the destruction of similar British cities: Norwich, Canterbury, York, Bath, and Exeter. 

The Exeter Blitz follows one fictional family as they experience and then survive the night of May 3-4, 1942.  The story is told from each family member's point of view at different times, which gives it a different feel.  I enjoyed learning about a specific event that I was not previously familiar with and this was a quick (128 pages), easy read.  This will be added to my list of recommendations when my students are looking for a WWII novel that is not specifically about the front or the Holocaust, so that they can get a sense of what it might have been like to live through an air raid as intensive as the bombing that destroyed much of Exeter, but, miraculously, left much of its famous cathedral in tact.

Happy Reading!!

**"Exeter Cathedral ." Exeter Cathedral. Sacred Destinations, 30 July 2010. Web. 09 Oct. 2012. http://www.sacred-destinations.com/england/exeter-cathedral.

#36--Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

On the first day of his senior year of high school, Greg Gaines thinks he has survived the day intact and unobserved--about as good as he can expect from high school, so, not a bad day.  Within hours of getting home, his mom drops a bomb on him....a girl he knows from Hebrew school has cancer...and his mom wants him to spend time with her.  Can you say awkward?  Greg and Rachel aren't really friends, but there is no way his mom is backing down on this one.  Greg and Rachel start hanging out and eventually Greg's only other friend, Earl, enters the picture.  Earl and Greg are amateur filmmakers, but refuse to let anyone else see what they have created....until Earl offers their movies up to Rachel as a way to try to cheer her up.  Everything snowballs from there.

This is probably my least favorite book I've read all year so far.  It started out with promise--I actually laughed out loud during the first few pages.  But gratuitous use of off-color language pretty quickly turned me off....and I didn't really like any of the characters but Rachel by the end of the book, and Rachel wasn't really that fleshed out....so that tells you how much I really didn't like the rest of the cast.  I actually contemplated putting it down and not finishing it after about 75 pages, but decided to slog through it in the hopes that it would improve.  Unfortunately, that never happened.  :(

#32--Geek Charming by Robin Palmer

This afternoon I was looking for a light and easy read to sit outside on my swing with and enjoy the beautiful day.  And I also have a stack of books that I checked out over the summer staring at me, waiting to be read.  So I picked up today's read for both of those reasons. 

Dylan is the "it-girl" at her private high school.  Josh is a film geek who happens to be in the right place at the wrong time.....Dylan has accidentally tossed her very expensive designer handbag into the fountain at the shopping mall her dad owns, and she convinces Josh to go in after it for her, in return for being in his documentary for film school.  Dylan attempts to renege on this deal, but her dad makes her follow through on it.  Josh, of the F-list in Dylan's mind, will get to follow her around and film her for one month, in her A-list world. 

At first Josh considers scrapping the whole project because Dylan is driving him insane with her demands, but eventually, he realizes that she is human and decides he wants to show her whole story in the documentary instead of just the life of the populars, as he originally intended.  When Dylan's emotionally distant boyfriend of almost two years dumps her right before the Fall Fling--the social event of the semester--and her popularity tanks, it is up to Josh to try to save the day.

Will Dylan kiss the frog to get the prince or will she discover that a prince is not always necessary?

This was a cute story and it reminded me of the movies Can't Buy Me Love and Clueless.  Parts of it were predictable, but it fit the bill for what I was looking for today and I would read Palmer's other books based on fairy tales:  Wicked Jealous: A Love Story, Cindy Ella, and Little Miss Red.

Happy Reading!!

#22--Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti

Noelle's life is a mess. She is bullied at school; her single mother neglects and verbally abuses her. The only bright spot is her best friend Sherae and her art. Oh, and Julian Porter...the boy of her dreams.

But Noelle has kept the extent of her miserable home life and the bullying a secret for so long from everyone, including Sherae, that when she starts to make other friends in Simon (the co-editor of the literary magazine) and Julian starts to pay attention to her, it completely freaks her out.

When Ali, a fellow classmate and bullying victim, commits suicide, Noelle decides to be done--done with putting up with everyone's insults and bullying, done with being made to feel less and done being afraid.

Overall, I thought this was a good book, with a great message. However, at the end it felt too preachy and heavy-handed to me. I think my students who liked Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why or Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak would like this book. I may have to add it to my wish list for next year.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free galley copy of this book by the publisher. It will be available for purchase on May 31, 2012.

Happy Reading!!

#13--Almost by Anne Eliot

So, I stayed up way too late, on a school night, to finish this book. I simply could not put it down, no matter how hard I tried (I didn't try too awfully hard, it was too good).

I came across this book as a free book for my kindle--it is not currently available in print, but hopefully it will be someday, because I would love to add it to my collection at school.

The story is told from two different points of view--Jess and Gray. As a freshman in high school, Jess Jordan was almost raped at a senior party--a party and an event she doesn't remember--and this has changed her world significantly. Now, three years later, she survives on Red Bull and naps during the day because if she sleeps at night, she has nightmares about the night of the party. Her coping mechanisms have made her shun all friends and extra-curricular activities. However, if her parents are going to let her go to college, she has to demonstrate that she is "making progress" toward normalcy. In order to attain normalcy, Jess applies for an internship at geekstuff.com. Not only will this look good on her resume, but it will also get her out of her room and around other people--one of the requirements of "normal".

What she doesn't count on is that there is someone else applying for the same internship--a really hot guy from her school, Gray Porter. While waiting for their interviews, Gray comes across a list Jess's sister made about how to be normal: 1) Make at least two friends your own age, 2) Go places besides your room, 3) Get a boyfriend, and 4) Make sure Mom and Dad notice numbers one through three.

In an effort to land the internship and appear normal to her parents, Jess makes a deal with Gray--she will do the internship for free so he get get the paid position to apply toward college, and pay him, to be her boyfriend for the summer--fulfilling the first three items on the checklist at once. She doesn't count on falling for Gray.

But Gray has secrets of his own--a secret that drives him to protect Jess....

Can't say any more or it would give it away.....

The ending was somewhat rushed, and a little formulaic, but overall, I really liked this book. As I was reading it, it reminded me a little of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Quad by Carrie Watson, and Hate List by Jennifer Brown--each in their own way. Really wishing it was in print so I could include it in my next order of books for school!

If you have an ereader, there are several websites available where you can get daily or weekly offers for free or reduced books. Here are a few of them....

http://www.inspiredreads.com/

http://bookbub.com/deals/
http://youngedition.pixelofink.com/
http://www.pixelofink.com/

I'm sure there are many others out there as well.

Happy Reading!