Paper Towns by John Green

Quentin Jacobsen has been in love with his effervescent neighbor Margo since as long as he can remember. When she disappears suddenly, he has no choice but to go on a wild goose chase after her. In short, that is what the plot of this book is.  But this book is a lot more than the plot. John Green writes with his usual wit and the road trip the characters go on is hilarious. However, I didn't really feel the characters in this one were as real. I don't know why I felt this, but they seemed a bit flat at times and forgettable. I thought Margo was defiantly complex, but her relationship with Quentin was rather awkward and I ended up feeling sorry for both of them.  Many people will disagree, but this wasn't my favorite John Green book.

3 Stars
Jessie

The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

The first book in the Ruby Oliver series, The Boyfriend List follows Ruby Oliver's past relationships- with her best friends, family, and boys. We find out about her past from a list she makes of 15 guys in a therapy session (which she goes to after her parents find out about her panic attacks). Each boy uncovers new stories and realizations about who she really is.
This book wasn't bad, it was a relatively easy read with all the ups and downs of high school girl drama. You really felt bad for this girl sometimes, it was fun. Recommended for those who enjoy chick lit or who just want a mostly witty novel.

3 Stars
Jessie

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

This first thing that struck me about this book was the cover. As much as people say to not judge a book by it's cover, I think people still unconsciously do. The book follows the story of an autistic kid, Christopher John Francis Boone. He lives with his father, who has told him that his mother is dead. One day his neighbor's dog, Wellington is found stabbed with a pitchfork in the front yard. Christopher is disturbed but intrigued. He starts writing a book following his search for the murderer. After series of shocking events, Christopher sets out on his own in England to find his mother, who is not actually dead.
I really enjoyed this read. It was suspenseful, surprising, and sad at times. It really gives a great perspective on the thought process that goes on when you have autism. Christopher was great. He was paranoid, kind of a genius, and a little snobbish (maybe it was just me) at times. This book's writing really gave you the impression that you know Christopher, knew what disturbed him, what made him sad, and what he was really made of.

5 Stars
Jessie

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

This book was probably my favorite John Green book. As in most of his books, it featured a nerdy and awkward boy (in this case Colin) who falls for a beautiful but smart girl. I loved this book because of it's witty math humor, sweet plot, and the great writing in general. Really recommend this one to people who like nerdy humor romances.

4 Stars
Jessie

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

Mattie Gokey is a 16 year old girl living in the outskirts of the Adirondacks in the early 1900s. She aspires to be a writer, but help is always needed at home, and the pressures of society urge her to get married. She works as a waiter in a big inn by Big Moose Lake, when tragedy strikes. Grace Brown is pulled from the lake, pregnant, and drowned by her former lover. They night before, Grace hands Mattie a bundle of letters with the instructions to burn them. After her death, Mattie's curiosity overcomes her and she opens the letters.
I really loved this book. Mattie was strong as a lead character. I like how the book was part Mattie's journey to success, and part mystery with the death of Grace Brown. It was also cool to know that Grace's death actually happened.

5 Stars
Jessie

Born to Fly by Michael J. Ferrari

It's 1941 and Bird McGill is enthralled by planes. She wants to be a fighter pilot, but cannot. On December 7, 1941, Bird and her dad take a quick spin in a neighbor's plane before Bird's birthday party, which no-one attends. 2 months later she, and her family are standing on a train station platform, saying goodbye to their dad as he goes off to war. As he steppes onto the train, he hands Bird something she's always wanted: A P-40 Warhawk plane manual.
Soon, she's taking to the skies with Lt. Peppel, setting up dates for her sister (with Lt. Peppel), trying to catch a sub, and a murderer, terrorist, and a spy. She meets Kenji, a Jap, as he's called and his uncle. Uncle Tomo is charged with the murder of a local man and blowing up a plane factory. He denies this adamently. Bird is waiting for her father to return in a few days to tell the truth about the real man who did it, when Lt. Peppel shows up at her house, with that envelope. That one no-one ever wants to see. Bird is caught on the witness stand, stuck. she can't trust the people in her town. One flicks a lighter, another pass a threat note and smiles. In Geneseo, RI, something is afoot.

5 Stars
Ima

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Leviathan and Rachel Cohn

Written from each character's point of view, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is a great, cool, funny read about two New York kids who meet under the oddest conditions and go out for one night of strange unadulterated craziness. This was a relatively short and enjoyable read. It was fun, but not really my favorite. I think I had high standards from all the hype that it had, and it didn't really live up to them.

3 Stars
Jessie

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Lena lives in a world where love is seen as forbidden and dirty. Citizens are given a cure at the age of 18, a cure for the disease known as amor deliria nervosa. This disease not only applies to relationships between couples but between family, pets, everything. You can never get too close in her world. The Cure is supposed to create stability, uniformity, happiness, perfection. Lena dreams of this cure, along with her best friend Hana. But the summer before her scheduled cure, the unthinkable happens. She falls in love.
This book was well written, and with a moving and sometimes suspenseful plot. Lena's world was fascinating and made you think. I'd read Before I Fall, which was also by Lauren Oliver, and I think they were both great. This is a great book for those who like a bit of romance and books set in a dystopian era.

4 Stars
Jessie

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner follows the moving story of Amir, privileged boy growing up in Afghanistan. Amir's Afghanistan is the Afghanistan of a wealthy young boy living in Kabul in the 1970's. Big white houses and being the only famliy to drive an American car down the street. Amir's best childhood playmate is Hassan, a Hazara boy who is actually his servant. Hassan is incoherently loyal to Amir, which annoys Amir to no end. Amir constantly vys for his father's attention, which he tries to gain by competing in the local kite running competitions. However, the Afghanistan Amir knows and loves is changing. Hazaras, an already discriminated against race, are being increasingly violated. After a series of scarring events, Amir and his father finally escape to the United States, where his story is not yet over.

This book was fantastic. It really gave me a view into Afghanistan, not the outsiders view of just poverty, war and the Taliban. There were many graphic scenes, so I do not recommend this book for younger readers, or even for some my own age.

5 Stars

Jessie

Corneila and the Audacious Escapdes of the Somerset Sisters by Lesley M. M. Blume

Corneila Street Englhart is a lonely person, growning up in NYC.  Her mother is a famous pianist, known all over the world. Any play-date that Cornelia has is always about the parent getting to know her mother. 15 minutes is a record time for Cornelia.  One day a new neighbor moves into the other apartment in Cornelia's house. Ms. Somerset has been all over the world and each room in her house is done up like one of the places she has been. There are rooms for India, Morocco, England, and many others. And Ms. Somerset tells stories. Stories about her going around the world with her sisters. How she found her butler, Patal, and dog, Duex. Soon Cornelia is able to make friends with the stories the Ms Somerset has told her.

5 Stars
Ima

Bloomability by Sharon Creech

This book is about a 13 year old girl named Dinnie. She grew up just about everywhere, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Arkansas... The list goes on. One day, her aunt and uncle show up to take her to Switzerland, out of the blue. Dinnie put up a bit of a fight, but did make it to Switzerland. There, under the Collina d' Oro, The Hill of Gold, in Lugano, , Dinnie goes to an American-international school where her uncle is headmaster. She makes friends with many of the students from all corners of the globe. She doesn't realize it then,

but she his finding where and what her true "Bloomabilities" are.

5 Stars
Ima

The Rising Star of Rusty Nail by Lesley M Blume

This book is about a very talented girl named Franny. She has the

ability to play the piano, with feeling, and, to the point, is a prodigie. She lives in the middle of nowhere, that is Rusty Nail, Minnesota, in the year, 1953. One day, a young man who grew up in the town has come home from NYC, and bringing with him a Russian woman. The town gossips start a committee against the "Commie" and ostracize her. Franny and her rambunctious friend Sandy decide to spy on her one night, soon after she moves in. Franny soon finds that the Madame is someone very special indeed.

5 Stars
Ima

The Demon Spirit by R.A. Salvatore

In this book, elbrayan the ranger has killed the demon dactyl, but his spirit still remains. The father abbot of the Abellican church, father abbot markwhart, has been possessed by the evil demons spirit, causing the father abbot to kill unmercifully, and torture heedless to the devastation he is leaving for his church. Can elbrayan kill markwart, and save the world? Read this amazing book

to find out.

5 Stars

Rory

The Demon Awakens by R.A. Salvatore

I thought this book was very good. A ranger trained by the elves,

elbrayan, has to try and stop the evil demon dactyl from raising an

evil army to take over the world. He and his wife, pony, have to try and stop him, but can they do it? Find out, and read this excellent book by R.A. Salvatore.

5 Stars

Rory