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Contemporary Fiction |
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An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green Colin Singleton has been dumped nineteen times by girls named Katherine. Depressed from his latest break-up, this anagram-loving, ex-child prodigy tries to formulate a mathematical theorem (“The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability”) which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship and allow him to make his mark on the world. Colin’s insecurities about expectations and love take him on a hilarious quest to discover his true self and avenge dumpees everywhere. Student: Arya Viswanathan Rating: |
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Angry Management, by Chris Crutcher Another good Crutcher book, this time he explores the world of anger, especially in adolescents, and how it is expressed. Crutcher uses three short stories involving characters that have appeared in other Crutcher books. I love it when authors use past characters over again and allude to their own works, especially when Crutcher does this. The main characters in this book all become strong characters because of what happens to them in their anger-filled stories that keep you guessing all the time. Student: Danny Donatelli Rating: |
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Boy Proof, by Cecil Castellucci The novel Boy Proof is set in modern day California and through her personal journal, Victoria Jurgen shows the reader her life through her perspective. Victoria is caught off guard when Max, the new kid, actually seems interested in being her friend so naturally, she avoids him at all costs. When Victoria finally lets go of her stubbornness, it may be too late to let Max into her life. Student: JJ Schwedelson Rating: |
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Godless, by Pete Hautman Jason Bock is a creative teenager living a small, religious town. Jason’s agnostic beliefs cause him to mock his entire town by creating an alternative religion that worships a water tower, and he soon creates a gang of followers. Jason’s reasoning for creating this new religion provides a unique perspective on all forms of religion. The interactions among the charcters are childish, and I think this book would be better suited for a student in middle school Student: Ben Strober Rating: |
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Bliss, by Lauren Myracle In 1969, Bliss starts her new life as a freshman at a high school in Atlanta. This book takes the reader through Bliss’s new friendships and high-school drama. It might sound like the typical story of a young girl, but it's not. It’s a frightening story of a girl constantly hearing a voice that talks about blood and death. I recommend this book to an audience between 8th and 11th grade and to anyone who likes a chilling high-school horror. Student: Isabel Zahn Rating: |
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Story of a Girl, by Sara Zarr Story of a Girl is about a teenage girl who is dealing with a whole bunch of problems. The summer going into her sophomore year of high school is one that she will remember for a long time to come. Dealing with the fact that her and her father have a very distant relationship, Deanna is on a mission to make a better life for herself. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read. It’s tough to put down! Student: Franny Gonzales Rating: |
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Sunrise Over Fallujah, by Walter Dean Myers As a soldier in the Civil Affairs Unit during the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Robin Perry gets a unique view of war. He and his comrades must deal with the Iraqi civilians and the hardships they face from being caught in the conflict, while trying to understand what they are experiencing for themselves. The book does a good job of giving a gritty, realistic view of war, even though I felt some parts of it were rushed and not as descriptive as they should have been. Student: Geremy Kaplan Rating: |
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Black Swan Green, by David Mitchell Set in post-Cold War England, this novel really makes the reader feel British. It is set in a quaint town in Worcestershire where thirteen year old Jason Taylor makes many new discoveries. Jason endures a quest for identity and acceptance – two opposing forces. This is a good book to read about search for self-identification. The plot is tough to get into, but is worth the endurance. The narrative is chock-full of splendid British terminology that is tricky, but puts the reader into the novel. Student: Nicole Palmadesso Rating: |
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Looking for Alaska, by John Green John Green is an amazingly talented author, having written two other books that are on my top ten list. Green never fails to develop his characters to the point where you feel like you know them and are there with them in the book. The protagonist of this book, Miles “Pudge” Halter, has just arrived at his new boarding school, searching for a “Great Perhaps” that he was not able to find at home. On his journey, Miles comes across the Colonel, Takumi, and Alaska Young, the mysterious, gorgeous, and screwed-up girl down the hall. Miles’ life spins out of control and he is faced with lust, love, loss, and longing. Looking for Alaska will keep you hooked till the end. Student: Ashley King Rating: |
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Looking for Alaska, by John Green This novel takes the reader through wild high school experiences. Miles (Pudge) Halter takes on the firsts and lasts of many different things at his new home, Culver Creek Boarding School. He acquires so much through ludicrous experiences with friends that will have the greatest impact on him. He learns how to deal with the maze we call life from one complication to the next delight, and that life isn’t always “straight and fast”. Student: Cleo Reiss Rating: |
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Surface Tension, by Brent Runyon I related immediately to the description, “At 13, he’s excited; at 14, he’s cool; at 15, he’s angry; at 16, he’s in love.” That line was the thing that hooked me and made me dive into the story. Runyon writes the novel in four chapters/stages of the main character’s, Luke’s, life. I really appreciated Runyon’s interpretation of a teenage journey and how he made it clear through his writing style that adolescence changes a person and sculpts them into a young adult. Student: Ryan Scanlon Rating: |
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Crank, by Ellen Hopkins Crank is written in free verse through the mouth of Kristina Georgia Snow. The book shows Kristina’s battle against Bree, a wild version of Kristina and Methadone, Kristina’s monster. I chose this book because it was written in verse. The poems were interesting because most of them could have been read two ways, but they soon became repetitive. I do not recommend this book to anyone that gets bored easily. Student: K. Keane Rating: |
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Crank, by Ellen Hopkins Crank is about the perfect, smart, and talented teenage girl Kristina, who tells you her story of what happened to her when she became connected with the monster. The monster is drugs. While with the monster, she finds Bree. Bree is the other side of Kristina that she never knew about. Kristina can’t win against the monster and loses to become an addict. Crank deserves five stars because it will keep you thinking long after you place it on the bookshelf. Student: Liz Amler Rating: |
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Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson Lia Marrigan, a girl with divorced parents, a clueless stepmom, and a younger stepsister who she adores, constantly has a lot on her mind, including that her ex-best friend is dead. Lia simply wants to be a normal girl but is restricted by the voice inside her head telling her to keep losing weight. As you go inside this teenage girl’s mind battling anorexia, you feel as though you’re experiencing everything she does. This mind-blowing novel is a real page turner, which explains why I couldn’t put it down! Student: Jenny Horowitz Rating: |
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Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson Although the story of Lia’s experiences with anorexia and bulimia is relatable for many people, it is not a story that I personally enjoyed reading about. This book shows you what goes on in the mind of a girl who suffers from an eating disorder, which was somewhat interesting, yet very sad at the same time. Reading about how terrible this girls life was only made me feel upset and depressed, which didn’t entice me to continue reading. Student: Samantha DiFabio Rating: |
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The Summer I Turned Pretty, by Jenny Han I like a book I can relate to, one where I can really understand how the characters feel, so this novel was perfect. Belly, narrator and main character, explains her life in summers and flashbacks. Throughout the many summers Belly and her family have spent at Cousins Beach she has grown to love two boys as best friends, brothers, and maybe more. This summer Belly has to make a hard decision, and she wants to help both boys cope with terrible news. She knows this summer will be rough. Student: Jessica Colantuono Rating: |
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Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher Everyone knows Hannah Baker killed herself but no one knows why. When Clay receives a mysterious package of 13 audiotapes, he begins an emotional journey of trying to figure out why his former friend gave up on life and what he had to do with it. I thought the author of this book wrote a suspenseful and captivating story. I literally could not put the book down until the final page was turned. Jay Asher makes readers know that their words and actions can affect others greatly. Overall, Thirteen Reasons Why is filled with emotion that keeps readers drawn to the story. Student: Chase Wilt Rating: |