Category: Romance

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

10/6/2017

Seventeen-year-old Molly has had twenty-six crushes but has never had a boyfriend or even been kissed, while her twin sister, Cassie, has had more girlfriends than Molly can count.
When Cassie starts dating a new girl, she wants to set Molly up with her girlfriend's best friend, Will, a funny, flirtatious, red-haired hipster.
Although, Molly feels that Will is way out of her league, she's prepared to go for it to make her sister happy -- until she starts to realize there might be a better guy for her right under her nose.

This story is more than just a sweet romance: it has diverse and interesting characters, deals with the changing relationship of two sisters, and has a very relateable and hilarious main character. Loved it!

Grades 9-12

0 Comments

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

5/18/2017

0 Comments

When Griffin's ex-boyfriend and first love, Theo, dies unexpectedly, Griffin is overtaken by a tsunami of grief. Even though Theo had moved across the country for college and had a new boyfriend, Griffin always believed that they'd get back together some day.
When Griffin meets Theo's new boyfriend Jackson at the funeral, he wants to hate him -- but he knows Jackson is the only person who could understand what he's going through.
The story moves back a forth between the past (detailing Griffin and Theo's history together) and the present, until the two timelines meet up near the end of the book.

This is a heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful book that explores not only the depths of grief, but also the joys and pains of first love and the possibility of healing and starting over. Silvera's first novel, More Happy Than Not, was an excellent book that has stayed with me; this one is equally good.

Grades 9-12

0 Comments

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

5/11/2017

0 Comments

Lazlo is an orphan raised in a monastery -- until he he escapes to the Great Library of Zosma where he gets a job and where he can read histories and fairy tales to his heart's content. His one true passion is uncovering information about the Unseen city, a mysterious, mythical city no one has visited or heard from in more than 200 years.
Sarai is a blue skinned girl who has the power to enter and control people's dreams. She lives in a floating tower with her four magical siblings, hidden from a world who would kill her and her sisters and brother if it knew they still existed.
When Lazlo has the chance to join a group traveling to the Unseen city, he seizes the opportunity to fulfill his lifelong dream, and he sets himself on a course destined to intersect with Sarai -- at least in his dreams.

I adored Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, and if it's even possible, I loved this book more. It's a gorgeous fantasy novel set in a richly developed world with characters you will love, admire, and root for. It takes a little while for Taylor to set the stage and for the story to get off the ground, but you'll be rewarded for sticking with it.

Grades 9-12
Book 1 of the Strange the Dreamer duology

0 Comments

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

4/24/2017

0 Comments

When the planet of Kerenza is attacked, Kady Grant manages to escape in one of three spaceships while her mom and ex-boyfriend Ezra are each on different ones.
Even though she made it safely off Kerenza, Kady's problems are just beginning: the attackers are in pursuit and plan to finish off the escapees; a plague is infecting the survivors and turning them into deadly zombies; and the artificial intelligence system, AIDEN, that runs the spaceship has gone rogue.
With no one left to turn to in space, it's up to Kady's hacking and Ezra's fighting skills to survive and to save each other as well as the rest of the dwindling number of evacuees on the ships.

This book was such a fun adventure/survival thrill ride (with a smidgen of romance). The format comprised of interview transcripts, memos, instant-messaging transcripts, diary entries, and more made for a unique read. (Don't let the size fool you -- it's a quick read with a lot of white space around the pictures, text messages, and such).

Grades 7-12
Book 1 of the Illuminae Files

0 Comments

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

3/3/2017

0 Comments

Seventeen year old Natasha Kingsley is a realist who loves science and music. Although she's lived in the U.S. since she was eight, she and her family are due to be deported back to Jamaica later on the same day that the book takes place.
Daniel Bae is a Korean-American high school senior who enjoys writing poetry about love and heartbreak -- even though he has never had his heart broken.
One morning when Daniel is on his way to an interview with a Yale alumnus, he sees Natasha on the streets of New York city, is drawn to her, and spends the day trying to convince her that they are meant to be. Natasha is not so easily persuaded -- her only concern is trying to find a way keep her family from being deported later that day.

I enjoyed Yoon's first novel, Everything, Everything, and loved this one also. The characters are unique (and refreshingly diverse), and immigration is a topic we don't see much in YA literature. If you liked Eleanor & Park, give this one a shot.

Grades 8-12

0 Comments

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

1/19/2017

0 Comments

Violet Markey and Theodore Finch meet on the ledge of their school's bell tower where they are both thinking about committing suicide.
Although Finch helps Violet down, he lets the school think she's the one who saved him -- it's the more believable story since Finch is goofy, unpredictable, and occasionally violent while Violet, until recently, was a popular cheerleader.
Finch and Violet partner up for a "Wander the State" school project, and as they travel around, not only do they discover the hidden corners of Indiana, but they also uncover the demons and memories that haunt each of them (and they try to help each other move past them).

Violet and Finch are characters who will stay with you long after you finish the book. If you like realistic stories that don't shy away from the dark and hard parts of life (such as Eleanor & Park or The Fault in Our Stars), then you should check this one out.

Grades 9-12

0 Comments

The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett

10/3/2016

0 Comments

To win a scholarship for art school, Beatrix Adams needs to get permission to draw cadavers at the local medical school -- without her mom finding out.
Jack Vincent is a handsome, notorious graffiti artist harboring a whole lot of secrets.
When these two meet on a late-night San Francisco bus, sparks fly.

With winning characters, particularly the delicious love interest, Jack, a focus on art, and San Francisco in the background, this is my favorite YA romance read of 2016 (so far).

Grades 9-12

0 Comments

The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore

5/17/2016

0 Comments

The Paloma and Corbeau families are traveling performers who have been rivals and enemies for years.
They believe that a Corbeau touching a Paloma, or vice versa, could lead to death – but that doesn’t stop Luc “Cluck” Corbeau from saving Lace Paloma’s life during an environmental disaster.
Lace’s growing attraction to Cluck has her questioning their families complicated history as well as her future.

The magical realism and the Romeo and Juliet romance are a winning combination. I also enjoyed how the book takes place in an imaginary central valley town but names other nearby real places (hello Hanford!).

Grades 8-12

0 Comments

book reviews

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett

The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore

Ms. Wheaton

Archives

Categories