Creepy

The cover of this book creeps me out and that's what I think will grab reader's attention. This book is historical fiction, which is a hard sell in my library. However the cover and creepy descriptions may win students over.

Tabby is brought to a mansion to be a maid to a young boy(moody temperamental young boy). The place doesn't feel right. There is no church, no one cares for her young charge and soon Tabby sees dead people. There are ghosts everywhere and it turns out these ghosts are previous maids. Being a maid herself, Tabby isn't thrilled with the idea of joining the dead. So it is up to her to protect Himself(what the boy is called) and herself.

The story is well written with good details, but the story isn't wordy. It is a gothic tale, but that shouldn't turn off younger readers. The creepy atmosphere that Ms. Dunkle is able to create will suck readers in. This is a perfect story for Halloween.

I haven't read books written by the Bronte's and I enjoyed this novel. This is a stand alone book. The author does tie in Tabby with the Bronte sisters at the end, which might peak some interest in a few readers. However, this book is for younger readers around middle school age.

At the beginning of each chapter there is a creepy drawing which adds to the overall gothic feel of the book.

Can a God love a mortal girl?

Soah is a young woman who must be sacrificed to the Water God Habaek. Her village needs rain and the only way to do that is for a a pretty young woman to die. Soah is the unlucky winner.

Once in Habaek's kingdom she meets some unusual characters, and some with some dark secrets, including the Water God himself.

While I enjoyed the story I felt that there wasnt a whole lot going on, but thats typical with manga. There are all these little secrets and you can't find out what they are until you read the next volume. I think the premise is a good one and I'll pick up these to see what else happens in the series. To date there are three volumes.

The first two pages are color, showing Soah in her wedding dress which is a beautiful red. I wish the entire book would have been in color becuase I think it could have been breathtaking. But, since its manga its in black and white. The illustrations are nice and I really enjoyed them. This also reads like a typical book(left to right) not like your other manga titles.

I think teens who are looking for a little romance in their manga will enjoy this novel. There is some sex in it however so it may not be a wise purchase for school libraries. It isn't really graphic, but I'm wondering if this title should end up on my shelf.

Overall, a good read. I'm looking forward to the second volume.

Oh no! Not another Homeless teen book!

Joon-Mee is a 12-year-old Korean-American who runs away from her trouble home. She, like so many teens out there, has had it with her family. Joon wants to be free and she ends up on the mean streets of New York City in the 1980s.

The novel was good, but I have read three other novels about the same subject and I see a lot of overlapping in them. The book was good, but it didn't stand out among the crowd as the best of the best. I mean common, how much more is there to write about when it comes to this subject? Bad home life. Kid can't take it anymore. Kid runs away. Kid meets older street kids. Kid does naughty things in order to survive(drugs, prostitution, stealing etc. etc.) Kid sees the error of their ways and becomes good again. YAWN.

Despite the fact that I'm a little sarcastic here (could you tell?) the book has its merits. I think students will enjoy this book. It touches on some subjects that teens love to read about, such as drug abuse, prostitution, and racism. The characters are interesting and realistic. The language is gritty and could scare off a few parents or school librarians.

Yet with all the gritty realism aside I just couldn't enjoy this book. Maybe I have had my fill of teen runaway novels.

For students looking for a book about runaways then this is for them. However if you have read two or more books about teen runaways then I would steer clear of this one. It feels like the same ol' same ol'.

Sad, but true

Tessa is going to die. I’m not ruining the story by telling you that because from the title I think anyone could have figured that out. Her time is limited. She has inoperable cancer and she has decided to make her own bucket list of things she must accomplish before the big day.

While Tessa is trying to complete the list she must deal with various hospital visits, a regiment of drugs and a failing body. In addition, she has a few complex relationships. Her estranged mother, her overbearing father, a little brother and a friend who has some very serious issues of her own she must work out.

I liked the story, but I found Tessa’s character to be grating at times. I understand that she was dying, and so the attitude she had was spot on; but there were times where I just wanted to get on with it because she was bothering me so much.

As I read the story I tried to think who would enjoy this. It’s pretty depressing even for young adult standards. But then I thought maybe sometimes a person needs a sad book to realize the good things they have in their lives.

For students looking for a complex story that takes them on an emotional rollercoaster ride, then this is the story for them. For students who are looking for something a little more upbeat then stay away.

What have I become?

Purge is the story of Janie Ryman, a 16 year old girl who suffers from bulimia. The story is told in first person and uses a series of flashes backs.

Janie is at Golden Slopes, a facility that helps teens with eating disorders. During her treatment, Janie meets an interesting cast of characters, including a wrestler who is anorexic but doesn't think he has a problem, Helen, the Queen of Lean, various doctors and secondary characters that helped give this book depth.

The novel does not try to sugarcoat anything. It paints a realistic and painful story of young people who have eating disorders. The one thing I enjoyed was that the book had male and female characters who suffered from anorexia or bulimia. I thought this was a nice touch because, as we all know, it is not a female problem.

There is a sex scene with the main character and her boyfriend, which has some people raising their eyebrows. I found it to be rather tame(but then again my tolerance level could be very high) and I don't think that high school girls would think twice about it. The aftermath of the sexual encounter I thought was prefect, realistic, and very sad. I know many women(teens and adults) who can relate to the situation.

At the end of the book there are websites, treatment centers, and also books that can help teens if they have an eating disorder.

At times it seemed like there were too many issues going on at once and it did make my head spin a bit. The ending seemed a little too cliché for me as well. Yet with that said I think this is a powerful novel that teens will really enjoy, and unfortunately can relate to.

For teens looking for a realistic story filled with teen angst and pain then this is for them. For those who dislike drama, this is not the book for them.

This book will be released on April 1, 2009.

A time for war...a time for peace....

There has been some controversy over Sunrise over Fallujah. Some say that this book is glorifying the war in Iraq and that there should be a book about the Iraqi view of the war. Okay, that’s fair. Maybe someone should write such a book, but they haven’t (as far as I know) and this book is about a young American man shipped overseas. As for glorifying the war, Mr. Meyers does none of that. Readers get a gritty realistic portrayal of war.

Robin aka “Birdy” as everyone calls him has been shipped overseas where confusion reigns supreme. Who are his enemies? What are they all doing there? How can they tell the enemy from a friend? As Jonesy one of the characters said, “Okay, let me straighten this mess out. If somebody who looks like an A-rab shoots you, the first thing you do is to pull out your Rules of Engagement card and see what the rules are for the day. Because it could be a Rodeney King day and we just all trying to get along and then you don’t shoot him.”

Mr. Myers gives the reader a realistic portrayal of this confusing war. Sprinkled throughout the book there is also humor, which lightens the mood. For instance Birdy said “Captain Miller, who curses better than anyone I had ever heard, said something wonderful about the lieutenant’s parents that I wish I had had the time to write down even though I don’t really believe that a human being could be conceived by sand crabs under a flack rock.

Sunrise over Fallujah is an excellent novel and I believed it approached the subject matter with dignity. The cast of characters are great and the reader is quickly drawn into this novel wondering what will happen next.

For students looking for a good war novel, and for those who want to see what life is like for our soldiers overseas I recommend this book.

Sing my Angel of Music

The Queen’s Soprano is based on the true story of Angelica Voglia and is set in 17th century Rome.

Pope Innocent XI has made a decree that women are not allowed to sing in public. But Angelica was born with a beautiful voice and she wishes to sing. In addition she wants to marry an artist and live a happily ever after. Her mother, on the other hand has other ideas for Angelica. She wants her daughter to move up the social latter and marry a rich man.

Unable to endure her mother’s plans for marriage Angelica runs off into a quarter of Rome that is ruled by Queen Christina. She is a Swedish queen who allows women to perform even though the pope is outraged. Angelica thinks her life will be better.

The story follows Angelica as a young, naive girl, longing for love to a young woman making difficult choices about her future and experiencing great pain.

This story was interesting because it’s something I had never known existed. I did enjoy it, but at times I felt if fell into the typical “mom wants to marry me off but I love another…” plotline that is getting a little tedious in historical fiction. For once I would just like to see the girl made to marry the man, though I'm sure readers wouldnt enjoy that.

For teens looking for a good historical fiction novel about a unique time period I'd say give this one a go. This is a chick book, so gentlemen beware.

What is your path in life?

Vidya isn't a typical Indian woman because she dreams about going to college. The thought consumes her and she can think of nothing else. She likes to read and enjoys school, and unlike other girls around her she doesn't want to get married.

Everything is going well for her, until the day her father is brutally beaten by an English soldier. With her father unable to work she must move into her grandfather's house, which is occupied by an interesting cast of characters, including some cruel family members. Vidya's life is miserable. The only solace she finds is going upstairs to the library where she reads for hours. However, going into the library is entering the men's quarters and it is forbidden. No woman is allowed in the library.

While in the library Vidya meets a young man named Raman. He's unlike the others in the household because he treats her like an equal and encourages her to read. As time goes on Vidya begins to develop feelings for Raman but she doesn't know if she is willing to give up college for a man. Vidya must choose her path in life, marry like a proper Indian woman should, or be an outcast and go to college.

This book was differend compared to so many that I have read; because this novel takes place in India during World War II. Ms. Venkatraman does an excellent job of immersing the reader in Indian culture. She explains the foods, festivals and different customs. The caste system is explored in this book as well as the gender roles.

The only drawback to this book is there was no glossary. The author uses so many Indian words, which is wonderful, but I think the addition of a glossary would have helped students.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and I think it would be an excellent book for a social studies teacher to use.

For teens who like to read about history, politics and other cultures this is the book for them.

A Powerful novel about Hurricane Katrina

No doubt some are thinking "this chick is like Volponi's personal cheerleader!" Well, you'd be right. Anyone who can get my teenage students, especially the boys, to read a book is someone that needs to be talked about. Frankly, I think the man is amazing.

Once again Mr. Volponi creates a fast paced story that will engage readers. Miles cannot stand living with his mother and his new stepfather. The apartment is too cramped, there are too many kids. Miles has to escape..but where can he go? His mother finally allows him to move in with his father, a man he hasn't seen for most of his life. The relationship with Miles and his father is lukewarm at best. Miles’ father doesn’t have an interest in football and only cares about Jazz. Before the two can work on their relationship Hurricane Katrina hits.

The reader is given a vivid and often painful narrative of what life was like in the Superdome. We see these events through Miles' eyes. He is a frightened, confused young man who struggles to understand the inhumanity that is taking place around him. As always, Mr. Volponi does not shrink away from uncomfortable situations and paints a very realistic vision of what happened during those horrible days inside and outside the Superdome. There is some swearing in this novel, but once again it is never done to shock the reader but further the storyline.

Students who want a realistic portrayal of Hurricane Katrina will enjoy this book. For students who enjoyed Mr. Volponi’s other novels I have no doubt they will enjoy this one as well.

This is a very powerful book about a sad chapter in our country's history.

My first Manga Experience

This was the first manga book I read. Now I won’t lie, I was one of those confused people trying to read it like an American comic book. Thank god I read it in the safety of my own home so no one would laugh at me.

Anyway, Emma is a work of historical fiction which means there are no crazy fantasy elements to the story. The book takes place in England during the 1890s, I think. It could also take place in the early 1900s. But that aspect really doesn’t matter. Anyway, Emma is a young maid working for Kelly Stownar. One day Mrs. Stownar has a guest and that is William Jones who is a very wealthy young man. The reader learns that after Mrs. Stownar’s husband dies (very soon after their wedding) she gains employment as Mr. Jones’ governess. William is taken by Miss Emma (oh god no not another wealthy man falls in love with a poor girl story!) But yes that is what we get as the reader experiences their awkward blooming romance.

The author, Kaoru Mori, is said to have studied countless hours for this book. She researched her heart out! Oh really? First off, if you want to say you are 100% accurate then you better back it up, which Ms. Mori cannot do. There are a few inconsistencies throughout the book, but I’ll only list three.

We have William giving gifts to Emma, which would be quite scandalous. The only time people were allowed to give gifts is when they were courting, and these two aren’t courting. Plus with the social divide I’m not sure how they could court but I'm sure that's explored in later books As the story progresses we have Hakim, one of William’s friends come to England. Hakim decides one day to ride an elephant through the streets of London. Yeah, once again we have historical accuracy.

Now, maybe it’s me. Maybe I’m just a bitter historian who hates it when people say things are historically accurate ( *ahem* The Luxe / Emma) and then they don’t deliver. Don’t get me wrong, if you don’t care about the little historical hiccups along the way and just want a fun read then…don’t read this.

I’m not sure where the story is going but I found it really tiresome and old. This had been done a million times before and frankly I don’t want to read about another rich guy falling for the maid.

If teens are looking for a non fantasy love story with historical details then this maybe for them. American readers don't see these types of books, and that's one thing I do like about manga. The Japanese market, unlike the American comic book industry, are reaching out to female readers.

Dark Gothic Romance

Leslie’s life sucks. Her father drinks a little too much..ok way too much, her brother is a druggy and she is struggling to pay the bills with her job as a waitress. She is also dealing with a dark secert.

As she tires to pull her life together, Leslie decides she needs to get a tattoo. She believes that in doing so she will be reclaiming her body and it will set her free. What she doesn’t know is that this tattoo is going to link her to the fairy world and that her life will forever be changed.

I enjoyed Ink Exchange. Lets face it, I’m a cover snob and the cover caught my attention. So I decided to give it a go. I liked the story, but I did get a little confused with the characters and who belonged to each fairy kingdom. The author also wrote Wicked Lovely, and I’ve gotten conflicting reports on which book to read first. Is this a series? So I never read Wicked Lovely, which could be one reason why I was confused.

Looking beyond that point I enjoyed the characters, and the pacing of the novel. There was also a little romance thrown in, which added to the story. It was really cool to read about a fairly/human love affair. The vampire thing has been done to death so I applaud Ms. Marr for trying something different.

I think the same teens who liked the Twilight Series will enjoy Ink Exchange.

I saw an episode like this on The Wonder Years

Andrea Anderson is a typical high school girl. Her drunken father ran away from home when she was younger so now she is living with her mom. She’s blends in with her surroundings and that’s because she isn’t popular and she doesn’t do anything extraordinary. In her mind she isn’t pretty (oh no not another girl who thinks they’re ugly!) and she doesn’t have any real friends. Andrea sits back and observes the world around her.

One day Andrea’s mother tells her that their neighbor is ill and in the hospital. She wants Andrea to walk the neighbor’s dog. Andrea is reluctant at first, but agrees. Later, when the neighbor comes home they strike up and interesting (although somewhat predictable) relationship.

As the story progresses, Honora asks Andrea if she will work around her house doing little jobs because Honora is sick with cancer. Andrea quickly accepts because she enjoys walking Honora’s dog and enjoys her neighbors company. The time with Honora is a time of self discovery, blah, blah, blah…

Everyone I knew raved about this book, and maybe that was the problem. Maybe I was so hyped up when I got it that when I started to read it I couldn’t understand what all the hype was about. The ending was predictable and I could see it coming from a mile away. Some have said that’s not the point, it’s about Andrea’s self discovery. Yeah, ok, fine, but I still wasn’t sold on that either. The book is OK. I found the characters typical. Andrea thought she was ugly, Honora reminded me of some hippy sage, and her mother acted like an average mom.

I suppose the good part is that this is a story about a young woman trying to find herself. I’m sure there are other books out there like this, but I can’t think of any at the moment. Typically, it’s always the young man who is trying to discover who he really is.

For students who enjoy books that are about average teens, living typical lives then this is the book for them. For those who want something with a little more excitement and less predictability then this is not the novel for them.

But I still think I saw an episode like this on The Wonder Years.

This is where the bad kids go

“Your parents sent you to Lake Harmony because they love you.”

So begins the story of Garrett, who is 15 years old. Garrett is kidnapped in the middle of the night and transported in the back of a truck to somewhere in upstate New York. He doesn't know where he is going and that's how his kidnappers like it.

Garrett’s parents are upset with his behavior and feel that he is out of control. Nothing they said or did made Garrett obey their rules. His parents thought he was out of control. So with no other options they send him to Lake Harmony, a boot camp for teens.

Adjusting to life in Lake Harmony is very difficult for Garrett, who believes he should not be there. His crimes, in his opinion, were minimal compared to the other teenagers. He stole from his parents, and had an affair with his teacher. Garrett didn't know what was so so bad about that.

As the story progresses the reader watches Garrett’s struggle as he tries to keep his identity and fights against the brainwashing and harsh conditions at the facility. The methods of punishment are severe and make for an interesting read.

Overall, I liked this book, but I thought that Garrett was a little too perfect. He had above average intelligence, and I thought this hampered the book a little. If he were a typical rebellious teen then I may have enjoyed the book more. At the end of the novel Mr. Strasser gives a list of articles he used when researching the book which maybe helpful for students who want to find out more about boot camps.

You can't handle the truth!

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson has brought a lot of attention to rape victims. Chris Lynch’s book is different. It is told from the perspective of the rapist.

Keir is a fun loving senior. He is a football player and earns the name “killer” after he tackles and paralyzes another player during a game. He pulls the average teen pranks and has an interesting relationship with his father, whom he refers to by his first name. Keir also abuses drugs and thinks nothing of it. Afterall, he's still a "good guy."

The story is told through a series of flashbacks which all leads up to the rape, or supposed rape. Keir tries desperately to convince Gigi he “loves” her and that it wasn’t rape. She’s knows it was rape. Finally, in the last few chapters the reader is finally told what took place.

The topic is interesting and Keir is a very disturbing character. I know he has some problems, but even looking past his issues I cannot like him as a main character. He bothers me, but maybe that’s the point. Maybe I shouldn’t like him? Maybe I am supposed to hate him?

Overall, it was a decent read. It was a National Book Award Finalist, but I felt this book was more disturbing than award quality.

While book talking this novel I have told students that if they enjoyed Speak they may find Inexcusable interesting. I explain to them it is a book about rape and is from the guy's point of view. At first, students are interested in this novel, but the majority tell me that Speak is their favorite of the two.

Nonfiction: It isn't always about dead white guys

When my students hear the word "non fiction" and "project" they panic. For most, reading fiction is bad enough, but no one wants to read non fiction because it's full of "dead white guys" and "who flanked who at the battle of Gettysburg." What students don't realize is there is a large slection of non fiction books that they may find interesting.

If teens, and adults, are looking for a gritty story about being homeless and what it takes to survive, this is the book for them. Tina S. spares no details and shares her horrific story with readers as she struggles through homelessness, addiction, jail time, and her fight to reclaim her life.

The story is told through a series of flashbacks. First the reader is introduced to Tina S. and her dysfunctional family. Her stepfather sells drugs and also does them. Her mother is out of work, and everyone(including her brother and sister) are living in a welfare hotel called Prince George. Plus, she smokes a lot of pot, occasional drinks and doesn’t always go to school.

She hates life until she meets April, whom she believes is the coolest person she ever met. April has a carefree attitude that Tina is drawn to and soon the two are constantly hanging out. It is only a matter of time before Tina gets sucked into the world of homelessness and begins living in Grand Central Station.

The language and details in this book are startling, but that’s what makes it so powerful. Tina writes with raw emotion. She goes into graphic details about an abortion, how she robbed people, and her addition to crack.

I felt sorry for Tina, and then there were incidents that made me want to hate her. Tina S.’s story is filled with pain, suffering, loss and redemption. A must read.

Do we want another prequel?

When I first saw there was going to be a prequel to Anne of Green Gables, I thought, why God, why? I mean do we need a prequel? We had a sequel to Gone with the Wind and we also had a spin-off book entitled Rhett Butler’s People. Plus there are slew of sequels to Jane Austen's novels. I won’t lie, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to loan this one from the library.

The story starts off with Anne’s parents and who they were. Both, we find out, were school teachers. They die very early in Anne’s life (she was a few months old) and she is taken in by a friend of Anne’s mother. She has the best of intentions, but as time goes on, her husband continues to drink, and she has more children. The friend starts to become cruel and resents Anne. There is a death and Anne is shipped off to another family with three sets of twins. We gain a little insight into her life there, and another death occurs and she is off to the orphanage.

To be honest, I thought that there would be more information about the orphanage, but really I think there were only 50 pages of it. The majority of the novel is Anne living with her first family. And no matter where she goes she is nothing more than slave labor.

If nothing else, this book reminded me how grateful I am that my ancestors fought for the rights I now have. Throughout the entire novel women were nothing more than broodmares. They hated, or strongly resented, their children and were tired and cranky. No one seemed happy.

The story was good. I enjoyed it. Now, did this story need to be told? Nah. I think the world could have gone without a prequel to Anne of Green Gables. But this is coming from someone who has never read the series(tried numerous times, but could never finish). Although I will say that I am now interested in the books and may try to read them over the summer.

For people interested in this novel, I say give it a go. It was well written.

Mr. Volponi does it again with another gritty urban teen story

Rooftop is another excellent book by Mr. Volponi. Once again he is able to capture the harsh reality of inner city life without being preachy or condescending.

Clay is arrested for smoking pot while his cousin Addison is a crack dealer. Both attend Daytop, which is a day treatment program to help teens stay away from drugs and to make better choices. Clay struggles to stay clean and tries to get his GED. Meanwhile, Addison has a harder time of leaving his past behind and goes back to his old ways.

One night, Addison chases another teen who owes him money. Up on the rooftop a terrible incident occurs and Addison is shot by a white police officer in front of Clay. Now Clay's world is changed forever. Not only does he have to deal with the death of his cousin, but he has to decide if he will tell the truth about what happend on the rooftop. Some community members will be angry by what he has to say. But does Clay fold to community pressure or does he tell the truth about what really happened that night?

Students who liked Black & White will enjoy Rooftop as well. I highly recommend this book.

Tell me Lies, tell me Sweet Little Lies

Anna, Emma and Mariah are three average high school girls. Their lives are rather mundane until one night Mariah invites Anna and Emma to her boyfriend’s house when his parents aren’t home.

It was going to be a fun party, but when Emma's parents do not see them at the movies(where the girls said they would be) her parents start making phone calls. The girls are worried their parents are going to find out that they were at a party. Frightened by the punishment they could receive the girls make up a harmless little lie. The girls never thought that their lie would balloon out of control or that innocent people could be hurt.

The story is another multiple narrative and consists of Anna, Emma and Mariah. Each girl’s perspective on the events was interesting and added a lot to the story. But I think what made this story so unique and so chilling was how believable it was.

I think most teens will enjoy this book.

An Interesting book about Gay Teens

Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez is an interesting, and frank book about the lives of three gay teenagers. Well, two are gay and Jason isn’t sure if he is or not.

The main characters are Jason, Kyle and Nelson. Each has their own set of problems which makes this book interesting and down to earth. For instance, Jason has a girlfriend, but isn’t sure if he is gay and struggles with the truth. Kyle hasn’t come out to his parents and is afraid to do it. To make matters worse his father is a drunk and Kyle struggles with an abusive home life. Nelson has no father, is in love with Kyle, and makes some really bad choices that could endanger his life. Thrown into the mix we have the boys dealing with students who are homophonic and the typical drama of high school.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It showed me the different issues that these characters had to deal with without being preachy. I liked how the story was broken down into three points of views. Each chapter represents a different character's perspective. By printing the characters name in bold at the beginging of each chapter the reader is instinantly connected to the character. As a person who hates multiple narratives in stories I found this very helpful. The author did a good job of staying away from the gay sterotypes. Overall, I think the book was well done.

For students who enjoyed Rainbow Boys there are two other books in the series including Rainbow High and Rainbow Road. Mr. Sanchez has also published his new book entitled The God Box.

For more information on author Alex Sanchez check out his website

Hot for Teacher!

Teach Me by R.A. Nelson deals with a disturbing topic that seems to be happening more frequently. I will confess that as an educator this book was difficult to read. The novel is about a 17 year old senior and her budding relationship with her teacher.

The idea that a teacher would cross the line and have a relationship with their student is troublesome. I wouldn’t have given this novel a second thought, but it came highly recommended. It was awarded Booksense Fall 2006 Kid’s Pick, a TeenReads.com Best Book of 2005, and a selection for the 2006 NYPL Books for the Teen Age.

It was because of these awards that I decided to give the book a chance.

Carolina is a high-school senior living in a small town. Her life is dull and uninteresting until she meets Mr. Mann. He is the new English teacher. Their relationship begins to grow and then they cross that line that is never to be crossed between teacher/student and consummate their relationship on her 18th birthday. Carolina begins to daydream of a future with Mr. Mann until he quickly calls off their relationship. Devastated by the rejection Carolina begins a downward spiral that has the potential to hurt everyone around her.

I will confess that I was disappointed by this book. With all the awards it received I thought it would have been written a little better. Much to my dismay, the book isn't as good as one would think.

For one, Carolina or Nine, as she is called, is much too intelligent for her age. I am fully aware that there are very smart teenagers. I see them all the time in the library, but Nine’s level of intelligence was a bit much. She thought like an adult. Her attitude was annoying as well. I didn’t find her to be a likable character.

The progression of the relationship was believable. Also, Nine’s psycho attitude(that’s all it can be called) is also understandable, however it did become tiresome. I mean how many times can you stalk someone and not get caught? The situations she is in are so unbelievable sometimes it’s just painful to read.

The resolution at the end was pathetic. At the end of the novel I couldn’t help but wonder what was the point of all the angst and crazy stalker like attitude if it ended the way it did? It was extremely disappointing, and I thought the author could have done so much more.