Teen Review

. . . Then I Met My Sister by Christine Hurley Deriso is a beautifully written novel and (although it's fiction) the author has written it so well that it will make you laugh at the funny parts, cry at the sad ones, and "awww" at the romantic ones. This novel is about a girl named Summer. As happy of a name that she has, her life has not all been light blue skies and rays of sunshine. All her life, Summer has been shadowed by the memory of her dead sister. Always she thought that her sister was the perfect one, and her? The unperfect. Or so she thought until her aunt had given her a diary her sister Shannon had kept before she died. But instead of learning more, she has more questions, and the answers to those change her and her family's lives forever.

--Snigdha, Teen Reviewer

Teen Review

Sarah Dessen's The Truth About Forever is an insightful look into the life of a teen who is pressured to be perfect through trying situations. This novel is about a sixteen year old girl named Macy, who, after losing her father to a heart attack, becomes obsessed with perfection and making her life predictable as to protect herself from any other catastrophes. While on this hunt to perfection, she stumbles upon a catering crew who is anything but perfect. Sarah Dessen shines with this tale of life, love, and the courage to be yourself. While still remaining upbeat and funny this realistic novel is sure to make you think about what forever really means.

--Hannah, Teen Reviewer

You say you want a Revolution?

Andi's little brother has died. Her mother is lost in despair. And, her father has left the family for a younger, pregnant girlfriend. She feels alone, abandoned, and suicidal. Andi's genius IQ can't help her figure a way to fix her family or herself. At the brink of failing her senior year of high school, she comes home one night to find her father has committed her mother to a mental hospital and expects Andi to accompany him to Paris on a business trip.
Having little choice in the matter, Andi glumly goes. Once there she finds the journal of a young girl, hidden since the French Revolution. Recovered from the catacombs beneath Paris, the journal tells of tragedy and speaks of hope. Andi finds comfort in reading the story of another young girl who was forced to play along as a Revolution tears her family, her country and her life apart. But as Andi reads, she grows so engrossed that she becomes unable to tell the past from the present and finds herself in a revolution of a whole different kind.

In her book, Revolution, Jennifer Donnelly deftly weaves together a story that transcends time. Citing popular musical lyrics throughout, she brings the past alive connecting it to the present through descriptive images, parallel story lines, and the realization that as history repeats itself, so does music. The suspense is all engrossing, and I found myself up until the wee hours of the morning, just wanting to read one more chapter, to find out one more detail, to pick up one more clue. Like Andi, the main character, I got carried away in a story that wasn't my own finding it difficult to tear myself away to face my reality.

I highly recommend Revoltion if you want a book that will provide you an escape to another time, another world, another life. Just don't forget to come back.

Do you believe in love after death?

Now that I've finally finished the Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer, it's time to move on to something equally as enjoyable...or creepy.

If you like dark and foreboding, then you'll love the Generation Dead series by Daniel Waters. With a cast of complex and memorable characters, Generation Dead #1 introduces us to the students of Oakvale High - a school attended by the living and the dead. Phoebe is a typical teen with a goth-style and a case of undying love for one very dead student - Tommy Williams. Adam is Phoebe's very alive, best friend. He would do anything for Phoebe, but does that include protecting Tommy?

Less about love and more about prejudice and fear of the unknown, Generation Dead is surprisingly captivating with a dash of humor - just enough to keep things "lively."

When you're done with the first title in the series, keep your eyes peeled for Kiss of Life #2 and Passing Strange #3. With Halloween quickly approaching, the Generation Dead series would be perfect for a late night read. For those in grade 9 and up.

Everafter

EVERAFTER is a unique and compelling read. Maddie, the narrator, suddenly finds herself in the midst of, well, nothing. Not a thing to feel, or see or hear, just darkness all around her. That is, until she notices some glimmers of light and finds that they are items she once lost in her life. She's dead and her only connection to the living is through these everyday objects she once knew.

Karen Kingsbury offers us a book that is not only suspenseful but thought provoking. What happened to her? How did she die so young? Can she change her life once it's over? Why are these everyday items so important now? Do we ever really see the big picture enough to appreciate our tiny corner of it? Come to your own conclusions as you explore EVERAFTER.

Available also as a book on disc or digital book.

Tuesdays with Morrie

Do you have a favorite teacher? Whether it was an art teacher who consistently praised your creativity or a biology teacher who helped sooth you through your first frog dissection, for many people there has been one teacher who made a difference and stood out in their mind as the best. Mitch Albom knew one such teacher.

A successful columnist for the Detroit Free Press, Albom graduated from Brandeis University and quickly became engrossed in his career. Unfortunately, Albom’s strive to be a great journalist lead him to disconnect emotionally and physically from those around him, including his family and friends. When Albom learns a former university professor is ill and nearing his final days, an emotional catharsis leads him to reconnect with his once-cherished confidant and teacher, Morrie Schwartz.

Tuesdays with Morrie is a retelling of Albom’s final months with Schwartz – a compilation of life’s lessons that include forgiveness, trust, love, happiness, and how to lead a balanced and rewarding life. Listed on many young adult booklists, the title is currently on the Young Adult Library Services Association’s list of Outstanding Books for the College Bound. The title is available at The Urbana Free Library in print and on disc.

Coincidentally, the Krannert Center Summer Studio Theatre 2009, at the University of Illinois, will be performing Tuesdays with Morrie on June 25, June 30, and July 1. For information about dates and times of performances, visit the Krannert Center website.