Book Review: When I Am Through with You, by Stephanie Kuehn

While a bit far-fetched, When I Am Through with You is exciting and compelling.

A teenager, Ben, tells the story from his prison cell and it is apparent very early that he has killed his girlfriend, Rose. While this may seem like a confessional, it is really a survival story. Ben is excited for his first trip away from home, where he has been taking care of his alcoholic mother for years.  He's going to lead a group of teens on a hike up a mountain. Everything turns sideways very quickly, and soon the teens are fighting for their lives.

These teens could be considered misfits. Ben certainly has a sordid past and suffers from debilitating migraines, The reason for this is clearly some trauma in his past, but we don't find out the details until later in the story.  The other characters are distinct individuals with their own hang-ups that all adds to the drama. The plot hinges on some unlikely coincidences and a plethora of bad decisions made by these teens.  The lone adult along for supervision gives Ben too much independence, given his inexperience. But without this, there would be no story.

The pace is riveting, and although the reader can easily see the dire consequences coming, it still kept me turning pages. And the consequences are indeed drastic, as several characters meet with violent ends. The text is rife with f-bombs and many sexual situations, so I would keep it for mature teens only.

Even though we know from the beginning that Ben is incarcerated, the ending felt unfinished and unsatisfying. I just wanted more. I didn't feel like Ben should be in prison, and I want to know how this all turns out.

Teens who can handle some brutal violence and a less-than-happy resolution will enjoy this compelling struggle

Published by Dutton BFYR, August 1, 2017
ARC obtained from Libraries Unlimited
290 pages

Rating: 3/5

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Book Review: Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid

Never Always Sometimes is cute. I liked it. And for me, that's saying a lot because I'm pretty picky about my contemporary YA novels.

Dave and Julia are best friends. And they are really each other's only friends. They are constantly together. There are only a couple of months left in their senior year of high school and they rediscover a list they made before their freshman year. The list, called the Nevers, contains those things that they vowed to never do during high school to avoid all the typical high school cliches.

So, to make their last couple of months more exciting, they decide to do everything on the list. One of the first things is to attend a beer party. At this party, Dave meets Gretchen and they hit it off. Eventually, as they talk more at school and go on a few dates, they begin a romantic relationship. But everything is weird, because Dave has always secretly been madly in love with Julia. And maybe Julia is in love with Dave.

So you can see where this is going. It's funny and entertaining, and includes the proper amount of teen drama. I'd read several reviews that either didn't like the ending or were surprised. I expected it to end the way it did and I was not disappointed, so don't worry.

Teens are going to love Never Always Sometimes. I enjoyed it, and since I've DNFd several contemporaries recently, this was a pleasant surprise. Not my favorite genre, but a good book within that genre.

Published by Harlequin Teen, August 4, 2015
eARC obtained from Ingram E-Galleys
320 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

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Book Review: The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak, by Brian Katcher

The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak is cute. I know that's a cliche, but this book is the epitome of cute.

Ana and Zak get thrown together at a Sci-Fi convention frantically searching for Ana's brother, and getting into some trouble themselves. I won't go into all of the details, except to say this convention is Zak's life, and Ana is the captain of the debate team who only cares about things she can put on her college application.

The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak is also silly. The situations Ana and Zak get into are not very likely. I'm not saying this isn't an entertaining book, because it totally is. But I'm just giving you a heads up about what you are getting into.

The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak has been compared to Nick and Norah and Statistical Probability and I think that's fair -- except I found both of those books more romantic and less silly. There are not many swooney moments, and the romance doesn't really happen until the very end.

The side characters are all pretty superficial. Ana's family is definitely strict -- both parents so controlling that it is unhealthy, which is an interesting side story that isn't fully explored. Zak's issue is his stepfather, and that one has more of a satisfying resolution.

The book is engaging and quick. It made me laugh (and roll my eyes.) This isn't a book that will stick with me for long, but I would definitely recommend The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak to teens who enjoy these cute stories about unlikely romances.

Published by Katherine Tegen, May 19, 2015
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
336 pages

Rating: 3/5

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Book Review: Bone Gap, by Laura Ruby

I was surprised by the weird paranormal aspect of Bone Gap. I was enjoying an engaging contemporary story with what I thought was an unreliable narrator. Maybe that's what it is? I have mixed feelings.

Bone Gap is narrated mostly by Finn, who is unusual. Bone Gap is a very small town in Illinois and everyone knows everybody. Finn and his older brother were abandoned by their mother, and now live alone and take care of each other.

Roza is another main narrator. She lived with Finn and his brother for a while in a small apartment in their house. They found her in their barn one morning, beaten and abused. Roza never explained where she came from. They nursed her back to health, and she cooked for them and took care of their garden. Finn's brother was smitten.

Roza disappears, and Finn tries to tell everyone that he saw a man take her away -- that she was kidnapped, but Finn can't describe the man, and everyone thinks Roza left of her own free will.

Finn is feeling guilty because no one will look for Roza. There are many other aspects of the story. Someone leaves a beautiful horse in Finn's barn. Finn becomes romantically involved with a local teen girl, who is also somewhat of a misfit. The next door neighbor is also unusual and keeps his chickens in his house.

At first I thought that maybe Finn has Aspergers, because he never looks people in the eye, but that's not what it is. I thought both Roza and/or Finn may be unreliable narrators, because as Roza talks about where she is being held, it doesn't really make sense. Or else she was drugged. Turns out there is a paranormal aspect, along with a bizarre medical condition that explains those things....or does it? I'm just not sure how I feel about the resolution.

I had difficulty with all the flash backs and flash forwards. It was hard to tell what time we were in -- Roza goes way back into her past, and jumps around to the present, and then to a more recent past. Somewhat randomly, without warning. Finn does the same thing. I needed better transitions, or indicators of a change in time.

The writing was great. The story swept me along and I became involved with these characters. I just felt a bit jarred by the whole premise of the unexpected ending. Bone Gap is easy to read and may be a good book for book clubs to discuss. I'm just unsettled.

Published by Balzer + Bray, March 3, 2015
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
368 pages

Rating: 3/5

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Book Review: Mojo, by Tim Tharp

I didn't really enjoy Mojo very much. I felt it was contrived and unrealistic.

I'm going to give you the Amazon.com summary:

All Dylan wants is mojo. What is mojo? It's power. The ability to command respect. It's everything Dylan doesn't have. He gets no respect at school, and when he finds the dead body of a classmate, even the police push him around. All the thanks he gets for trying to help the investigation with his crime drama skills is a new nickname at school: Body Bag. So when Dylan hears about a missing rich girl from the other side of town, he jumps at the chance to dive into this mystery. Surely if he cracks a case involving a girl this beautiful and this rich, he'll get not only a hefty cash reward, but the mojo he's looking for. 

His investigation takes him into the world of an elite private high school and an underground club called Gangland. As Dylan—along with his loyal friends Audrey and Randy—falls down the rabbit hole, lured by the power of privilege, he begins to lose himself. And the stakes of the game keep getting higher.  

I thought Dylan made some really bad decisions. He was extremely naive, and this allowed him to end up in some really strange situations that to me seemed overly dramatic. The private school kids were very stereotypical and also unbelievable. The parents were almost non-existent.

I thought the premise was interesting, and the ending did have a bit of tension, but again, I just didn't believe any of it. My favorite character was the homeless person, Rockin' Rhonda. She was entertaining. I thought the friendship between Dylan and Audrey was genuine. So, there was some good stuff, but mostly Mojo was a disappointment. I didn't really like The Spectacular Now either (yes, I know, finalist for the National Book Award), so maybe Tharp just isn't the writer for me.

Published by Knops BFYR, April 9, 2013
ARC won from RandomBuzzers
289 pages (Qualifies for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge!)

Rating: 2.5/5

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Book Review: Where Things Come Back, by John Corey Whaley

Hmmmm.. Where Things Come Back is an interesting story with some unique elements that I enjoyed. I wasn't blown away by it, as I know many people were.

There are two unique and disparate story lines throughout the book and the way that they come together at the end could never be predicted. This feature was the best part of Where Things Come Back for me.

Cullen is going to be a senior in high school. He has a best friend, Lucas, who is very different than Cullen (popular, athletic, etc) but they for some reason have a deep bond. Cullen also has a younger brother, Gabriel, who is very smart and unique and therefore doesn't have many friends.

His brother suddenly disappears, and no one can figure out anything about his disappearance. It is totally unexplained, and Cullen and his family are very upset, depressed, frustrated, and all those other emotions that you can imagine. Adding to their distress is that fact that a stranger has come to town and claimed to have seen a type of woodpecker that has been extinct for a long time. This small Arkansas town is so excited about this claim to fame that they can't pay much attention to a missing teen.

Meanwhile, we begin a tale about a teenage missionary to Africa, that has far-reaching consequences (and I mean far, far reaching) for Gabriel and his family. The story goes back and forth between these two plot lines, and very creatively comes together in a somewhat distressing ending.

The characters are interesting. I wouldn't say any of the teens portrayed in Where Things Come Back are typical. They are misfits and the characterizations are interesting.  Some of the woodpecker story line is a bit tongue-in-cheek, and makes the entire book seem more lighthearted than it should. These conflicting emotions made me a bit uncomfortable. Part of the book was so stupid, but then there's this serious part about a teen being abducted. Maybe this is the feeling that Whaley is going for.

The book is short and moves at a steady pace, so it wasn't difficult to finish. I liked the way it ended. I feel kind of ambivalent about Where Things Come Back. I enjoyed it, but I don't think this one will stay with me. I'm also going to have to hand pick readers for Where Things Come Back. I don't think it has wide appeal for teens -- which often seems to be the case for award winning YA titles.

Published byAtheneum, 2011
Copy obtained from the library
240 pages (qualifies for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge!)

Rating: 3/5

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Book Review: The List, by Siobhan Vivian

The List is a compelling contemporary that deals with high school teen girls and their self image.

The premise is a bit of a stretch. Every year at the beginning of homecoming week, a list is posted all over the school with eight names on it. Two girls from each class - the "ugliest" and the "prettiest." Apparently this is an annual tradition, one that the administration has done nothing about. As I work in a high school, I find this hard to believe. But I do know that kids are cruel sometimes, and the way the rest of the story played out is plausible.

We are introduced to each of the eight girls in separate chapters, and then we see how they all deal with this fame. You would think that the "pretty" girls wouldn't have problems, but even they have a difficult time dealing with this notoriety.

Vivian did a great job creating unique, identifiable characters. There's the previously home-schooled girl, the athlete who apparently looks like a boy, the presumed homecoming queen, and the girl who embraces her ugliness. The characters and teen interactions really made The List.

There is, of course, the mystery of who made the list. And the new principal is even making attempts to find out. The reader does find out at the end, but I didn't really feel that was key to The List.

Teen girls who love contemporary stories about the struggles of being in high school should definitely seek out The List. It's a quick book, written in an easy style, and I'll put this one on my list for reluctant girl readers too.

Published by Push, April 1, 2012
ARC obtained from the publisher for review
332 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

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Book Review: The Gospel According to Larry, by Janet Tashjian

The Gospel According to Larry is a thought-provoking book about a teen's attempt to take on society's problem with consumerism. This book was chosen by my teen book club to discuss this month, so this is a re-read for me. I'm looking forward to what they have to say -- there's lots of good stuff to talk about here.

Josh is a backwards, nerdy high school kid. Beth is his only friend, but Josh has always had a huge crush on her, and wished for more than friendship. Unbeknownst to Beth or anyone else, Josh has started writing a website, The Gospel According to Larry, where he writes sermons railing against consumerism and whatever else is bothering him. The website has gained much popularity and Beth is one of it's most staunch supporters. Actually, Beth starts a Larry fan club at their school.

Larry's step dad, Peter, works for an advertising agency, which makes what Josh is doing even more ironic. Things get better and better, as Bono from U2 gets wind of Larry and followers go off the chart. But then things get worse because one follower, betagold, is determined to find out who Larry really is. After Josh is discovered things quickly tumble out of control, and Josh has a terrible decision to make.

Josh is quirky. He owns only 75 items and part of his web entries are pictures of his possessions. Josh is still mourning the loss of his mother, which he does by visiting the make-up counter at Bloomingdale's, one of his mother's favorite places. There are footnoted comments by Josh that had me laughing out loud. He definitely has an interesting take on life.

The novel is written as if Tashjian has been handed this manuscript by a young boy who has asked her to publish it, which works quite well. There are sequels, Vote for Larry and Larry and the Meaning of Life, which are available now. Teens who enjoy contemporary novels about a misfit teen trying to make a difference in the world will like this. Even though this book was published eight years ago, I didn't find it too dated (yet).

Published by Dell Laurel-Leaf, 2003
Copy obtained from the library
227 pages

Rating: 3/5

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