A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness ( Abe Book)

My Review
I LOVED this book. I was not excited about this book based on the cover, size and the drawings I thought the book would be weird. Boy was I wrong. This is a beautiful story of a boy who is dealing with his mother's terminal cancer. I can't recommend this book enough. Simply lovely.

Amazon Review
At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting-- he's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It's ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth. From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd-- whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself-- Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined.

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepard (Abe Book)

My Review
I was hesitant to read this one based on the cover and the premise. I throughly enjoed this book and am hoping to read the sequel. I was visualizing all of the characters as I was reading wondering what everyone looked like and what the island was really like.

Amazon Review

For fans of Libba Bray, this first book in a gothic suspense trilogy is inspired by H. G. Wells's The Island of Dr. Moreau and has been hailed by New York Times bestseller Carrie Ryan as having "beautiful writing, breakneck pacing, a pulse-pounding mystery, and an irresistible romance."
Following accusations that her scientist father gruesomely experimented on animals, sixteen-year-old Juliet watched as her family and her genteel life in London crumbled around her—and only recently has she managed to piece her world back together. But when Juliet learns her father is still alive and working on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the old accusations are true. Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward, Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's insanity. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

This is where I leave you by Jonathan Tropper

My review
A friend recommended this book and I could not put it down. I finished the book in about 2 days. The movie is coming out in September and I can't wait. The author did a great job portaing a family dealing with death as well as their own personal issues taking place.

Amazon Review
The death of Judd Foxman's father marks the first time that the entire Foxman clan has congregated in years. There is, however, one conspicuous absence: Judd's wife, Jen, whose affair with his radio- shock-jock boss has recently become painfully public. Simultaneously mourning the demise of his father and his marriage, Judd joins his dysfunctional family as they reluctantly sit shiva-and spend seven days and nights under the same roof. The week quickly spins out of control as longstanding grudges resurface, secrets are revealed and old passions are reawakened. Then Jen delivers the clincher: she's pregnant.

This Is Where I Leave You is Jonathan Tropper's (One Last Thing Before I Go) most accomplished work to date, and a riotously funny, emotionally raw novel about love, marriage, divorce, family, and the ties that bind-whether we like it or not.

Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

My Review
I loved this book. I had heard great reviews about this book and it did not disappoint. It was told from an interesting perspective and I was very intrigued to get to the end and solve the mystery.

Amazon Review

Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom.

Then Bernadette disappears. It began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle--and people in general--has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic.

To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, secret correspondence--creating a compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world.

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau ( Abe Book)

I LOVED this book. I finished it over the weekend and I was so mad I couldnt start the sequel immediately. While this is another dystopian thriller I found it to be innovative and exciting. I never felt as if the author was stalling to keep the story moving yet I couldn't stop after each chapter. I think LP students will LOVE this book as much as I did.

Amazon Summary
It’s graduation day for sixteen-year-old Malencia Vale, and the entire Five Lakes Colony (the former Great Lakes) is celebrating. All Cia can think about—hope for—is whether she’ll be chosen for The Testing, a United Commonwealth program that selects the best and brightest new graduates to become possible leaders of the slowly revitalizing post-war civilization. When Cia is chosen, her father finally tells her about his own nightmarish half-memories of The Testing. Armed with his dire warnings (”Cia, trust no one”), she bravely heads off to Tosu City, far away from friends and family, perhaps forever. Danger, romance—and sheer terror—await.

Winger by Andrew Smith ( Abe Book)

I enjoyed this book. I had been hesitant to read it based on the cover and description but I certainly enjoyed it at the end. If you can get past the perverted jokes of a 14 year old boy I think anyone would like this heartfelt journey as Ryan Dean begins his journey of Junior year in O-Hall and grows up to being quite a friend and person.

Amazon Summary

A teen at boarding school grapples with life, love, and rugby in a heartbreakingly funny novel.

Ryan Dean West is a fourteen-year-old junior at a boarding school for rich kids. He’s living in Opportunity Hall, the dorm for troublemakers, and rooming with the biggest bully on the rugby team. And he’s madly in love with his best friend Annie, who thinks of him as a little boy.

With the help of his sense of humor, rugby buddies, and his penchant for doodling comics, Ryan Dean manages to survive life’s complications and even find some happiness along the way. But when the unthinkable happens, he has to figure out how to hold on to what’s important, even when it feels like everything has fallen apart.

Filled with hand-drawn infographics and illustrations and told in a pitch-perfect voice, this realistic depiction of a teen’s experience strikes an exceptional balance of hilarious and heartbreaking.

Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick

I loved loved loved this book. Ms. Savage read it a few days ago and told me she cried her eyes out. I was anticipating a cry and boy did I cry. Amber Appleton is one of the best characters I have ever read and experienced and I wish I could know her in real life and call her a friend. This officially makes Matthew Quick by new favorite author as I loved Boy 21 and Forgive Me, leonard Peacock as well. Well done!!!

Amazon Summary
Amber Appleton lives in a bus. Ever since her mom's boyfriend kicked them out, Amber, her mom, and her totally loyal dog, Bobby Big Boy (aka Thrice B) have been camped out in the back of Hello Yellow (the school bus her mom drives). Still, Amber, the self-proclaimed princess of hope and girl of unyielding optimism, refuses to sweat the bad stuff. But when a fatal tragedy threatens Amber's optimism--and her way of life, can Amber continue to be the rock star of hope?

With an oddball cast of characters, and a heartwarming, inspiring story, this novel unveils a beautifully beaten-up world of laughs, loyalty, and hard-earned hope. The world is Amber's stage, and Amber is, well...she's sorta like a rock star. True? True.