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When Ben Wolf goes for his yearly physical prior to Cross-Country season, he gets some rather unexpected news. the worst sort of unexpected news really. But Ben has always felt that he wasn’t meant for a nice, long life on this earth, and takes the news about as in stride as anyone can. His doctor is none to pleased, dragging him to a specialist, and swearing him to twice weekly therapy for his silence and pass on the physical. Ben, being 18, knows the decision is his, and threatens legal action should his family find out.
Instead of returning to Cross-Country, where he’s a shoe-in for the State Title, Ben turns out for football, much to the amusement of the other players, and bemusement of the Coach. For a pint-sized guy, he’s quite the surprise as it turns out. And for a large part of the season, he’s their best-kept secret. The Horseshoe Bend game, which will surely go down in Trout History gives him one of the best moments of his life.
Meanwhile, outside school, he’s somehow landed the girl of his dreams. A thing he’d never conceived as a possibility. But dying made him bold. And is now tearing him to pieces. Not only does she like him, she forsees a future with him. One he won’t be there for. She tells him so secrets so huge he knows he should reciprocate, and yet by that time it seems too late.
The more the year progresses, the more Ben finds that attempting normalcy when the reality is anything but really wasn’t a good idea. And they tried to tell him. The doctor, the therapist, the next therapist, Hey-Soos. heck, even town drunk Rudy McCoy has confided an earth-shattering secret in him, and he still can’t get the guts to come clean.
He does though. Starting with Rudy, as it happens. And then Coach. And Cody.
Sometimes it goes much better than he could hoped. Sometimes it’s about the worst thing ever. Dying aside. Worse than that, even.
While it would seem that this would be a sad tale and a depressing read, it was uplifting throughout and largely funny, with its supremely serious interludes thrown in at just the right junctures. Definitely a recommended read for all.
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An eternity of reflecting one’s misery back on oneself, as it turns out, gets quite dull. Really, it’s torturous. You can’t change anything at this point, it’s all been said and done. And the thanklessness of it…well. It’s just more than Kiriel can deal with. So what if he’s breaking all the rules? He deserves a vacation. And the body he slipped into…well, it was about to die anyway.
After eternity as a spirit, the physical realm is quite something. In fact, Kiriel is giving the Creator props at every turn. Color! Wind! It’s all just incredible. Of course, learning to be human whilst being supervised is more than a little awkward, so his first order of business is to remove himself from the company of Shaun’s best friend and head home for some solitude.
After getting caught essentially making out with a t-shirt, spending a couple of hours in the bathroom, and overhauling Shaun’s appearance, Kiriel thinks he’s getting the hang of this physical thing. Each new experience is incredible. Like ketchup. Oh does he love ketchup! Ingenious.
But he has bigger issues at hand. Better experiences he wants to try to get to before someone notices and his trip comes to an end. Only at this point does he realize his choice of someone generally unnoticed may not have been the best. These are not the boys who…get on well with girls. But he can try!
Speaking is his biggest issue really. It’s a bit hard to remember to try to talk like an uninterested, unenlightened teenage boy when you know pretty much everything. Eager to try to make an impact while he can, Kiriel decides to give some advice to a bully, who he knows he’ll see in Hell if things don’t change. But apparently attempting to counsel a bully on his fears of inadequacy in public is not the best idea.
After a few days as Shaun, Kiriel’s curiosity is starting to wear off. The novelty is wearing off. Being human is hopelessly futile. Shaun has disappeared, and no one has noticed, aside from his cat. It’s horribly depressing. And the changes he’s begun, being nicer to Jason, well, he won’t be here to carry through on that. So what’s the point, really?
Still. It’s been fun. And you can learn things while physical that you just wouldn’t otherwise. So it wasn’t all pointless. And maybe he will leave a mark after he’s gone. Maybe it’s not all futile.
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Rating: 
For Alex, the fun ended when his brilliant plan went awry and landed him on a neighbor’s lawn, crushed lawn gnome under tire, puking his guts out on an officer’s shoes. Though if you asked him, it’s nothing to get in a tizzy over. Just a lawn gnome. So what if he intended to drive across down and didn’t make it to the end of the road? No way does he need to pay for it by spending his time with someone as old, unpleasant, and abusive as Sol Lewis. No way. Too bad Judge Trent and his mother don’t agree.
With no choice but to persist, Alex does eventually learn to handle Sol, eventually developing a rapport with him, if an uneasy one. Not until he arrives late one day, an occupies himself with guitar, thus accidentally discovering Sol’s love for music, do they really begin to bond. And at this point, Alex has another brilliant idea. But this time it really is good. He’s going to hold a concert at the home, with two of his insanely musically talented classmates, who he likes to call the Cha-KINGS.
Soon Alex is in it deep. After school practicing, trying to learn to keep up with two musical gods. Off-days, visiting Sol, trying to make the most of their time together, hard as that may sometimes be. In fact, he’s begun thinking of staying on after his time is up. Even after Sol finds out he’s not been there of his own accord and they have a falling out on New Year’s Eve. Even after Sol shows him up at his own gig.
With the arrival of Valentine’s Day, the situation gets more dire. Sol, who has emphysema, has been hospitalized with pneumonia. Alex gets the news as he’s about to leave, and has no option but to go pick up his date, explain the situation, and head to the hospital. After enduring the visit, during which Sol does nothing but call her Laurie, Alex sets his date up with Laurie’s date at the dance, after arriving, filling her in, and being directed to take her to the hospital right now.
By his return visit, Sol is looking better, but Alex is beginning to be forced to face the hard truth. He won’t be around forever.
Back at the home, Sol and Alex continue their lessons, and Alex learns that Sol and the Cha-KING’s have scheduled another show for April. Alex isn’t entirely interested, but agrees on the condition that Sol will take part.
Though she didn’t attend the first time, Alex takes the chance to invite Judge Trent to the concert, and this time she accepts. A fact that is even more surprising than Alex knows.
This was a really, really fun read, and exceptionally quick. You could add it to your pile and it would be gone again before you knew it.
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Rating:
Lily Samson is sure her family is the craziest. Her brother lolls around, dropping in and out of school, unable to find a path in life. Her Pop, though she loves him, is a bona fide racist (as far as she’s concerned), her Nan has an invisible friend, her mother is fond of bringing home clients from work to stay with them, and Lily, in all her Year Ten glory, is the responsible one in the house. Her friends giggle about boys, she makes shopping lists. Her friends makes up new words, she makes dinner plans. Really, there’s most definitely something wrong here.
Lonnie, errant brother, has moved out after a blow-out with Pop, involving an axe. Living in a Boarding House for Gentleman, and once again enrolled in school, he’s still trying to find his way. His mother, with no real way to know how he’s doing, worries. Endlessly and pointlessly, if you ask Lily. Indeed, Lonnie nearly does repeat his cycle yet again, but a little intervention stays his hand. In fact, meeting Clara has changed the world for Lonnie, and all for the better.
Back at home, Lily has concluded she needs to fall in love. It seemed just the answer to her premature aging. And yet, once decided, she quickly changes her mind and finds the whole process of having a crush to be quite horrid. Unfortunately, she can’t go back.
She’s sure as anything that Daniel Steadman doesn’t even know she exists; across town Daniel is plagued with dreams of a mystery girl with a beautiful voice.
Waking in a frenzy one night, unable to recall the color of his mother’s eyes, Pop takes a trip to his old neighborhood at Nan’s urging. Most of it is gone, replaced with stores and shops and food all foreign to him. Worse yet, while sitting on a bench recollecting, he calls aloud a most unfortunate phrase and insults the Chinese woman who just happened to be across the way at the time. He runs for it, but determined not to take abuses anymore, she chases him down. They find in one another an unexpected friend.
Nan, feeling certain that the family needs a celebration, decides to hold a party for Pop’s eightieth birthday. A grand event, it will be! She’s just sure it will help Pop and Lonnie to reconcile. She’s been pestering Lily to try to make it happen, and to make sure Lon comes to the event. Though Lily is certain this can only end badly, what with Clara being Chinese, she does as asked.
In fact, Lily decides this party is important. Maybe the most important thing in their lives. She needs it to be a success. And because he hears this quiet desperation in his sister’s voice, Lonnie agrees. To make up, and to attend. Lily can only hope it will be the one, perfect day she feels she, and they all, deserve.
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Rating:
When Katy Ratner discovers she’ll be spending two weeks of her summer with her father, The Rat, instead of in Peru with her mother, she’s not happy about it. But she figures she can deal.
Shortly after arriving at the airport she changes her mind. Upon arrival at the Rat’s apartment she knows she can’t do this. Mess, everywhere. Her room, she can tell he tried with her room. Except it’s still not her. She pleads with her mother via text messages, but apparently her seriousness has such an edge to it that it comes across as a joke. She doesn’t know how to point out the mistake.
Then comes an even bigger kick in the face. Her two weeks are actually going to be the whole summer. Her mother’s on to something in Peru. Something huge. And she wants to stay. Katy wants to be there, be part of the team she’s always been included in. But she doesn’t say that either.
And so it is. She’s stuck in California, looking and feeling out of place, trying to understand this world of people for whom music is everything. For her, music is mostly just noise. Or a good background. If it’s the right music. Which makes staying with her drummer father a real dilemma. And being baby-sat by the bribed daughter of the Rat’s band-mate, Sam Suck, more of a dilemma. Even Garth Skater, pretty enough to be a girl without his helmet on, gets it. He promises to make her a mix CD, by way of introduction to the scene.
True to his word, he delivers the CD while Lake is visiting. Katy isn’t interested until Lake points out that it’s actually a good mix. Then it starts to seem worth it.
Slowly, Katy starts to feel less Beige…or at least that Beige isn’t a bad thing to be. She starts to understand her dad. And his girlfriend, Trixie, proves to be a good friend. Even Lake isn’t all hardness, like she seems. And even music starts to make its own kind of sense.
As summer draws to a close, leaving Beige with one more huge obstacle and disappointment to get through, she knows she can do it. It really will be OK. She has a place in this world, and she doesn’t have to take it quietly. Maybe she is her father’s daughter; and that’s not a bad thing to be.
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Rating:
This book comes with a warning. About not picking it up if you have places to be. Believe it. And add to the list: sleep. If you are at all insomnia-prone, do not get into bed and pick up this book. You’re not going to want to put it down. You might not be able to put it down.
Clay Jensen is having a bad week. Which is a massive understatement. But I don’t think he’d have accurate words to tell you how he feels, so I’m certainly not going to try.
It started when Hannah Baker failed to show up for school. It continued in the whispers and looks. The reactions, some of which seemed random, some which almost maybe made sense. It culminated in the package left at his front door. The one with his name on it. No return address. The brief excitement ended when he found a cassette player and popped in the first tape. And out came Hannah’s voice.
Hannah Baker lost control of her life. At least, she couldn’t seem to gain control of her life. Even once she realized what was going on. As it got worse, and oblivion seemed to be spiraling her way, she took it upon herself to document what had happened. From the beginning. Which in this case was her move to town. The fresh start that got off on the wrong foot, through no fault of her own, and never ceased to misstep.
She wrote a list. After a specific and yet random night which caused it all to collide, she wrote a list. All the connections. The events and the people. From that list she narrowed it down to 13. Thirteen key players. Thirteen people whose lives, in one way or another, will never be the same. Not just because Hannah Baker didn’t come to school. She also left them a message. A message they and 12 others will know. If they follow the rules. No tellling who could end up knowing if they don’t.
There’s another set of tapes. And a follower, making sure the first set gets around.
Clay, for his part, can hardly take it all in. From the first time he saw Hannah, he liked her. But for varied reasons, not the least of which were the rumors that began it all, he never tried. He was afraid to find out he might be wrong, he thought she’d never give him a chance. And then he nearly had one…only to lose it. And then he really lost it, because Hannah took it all away. No second chances.
As he makes his way through the tapes, there’s an incredible amount of disbelief. A lot of inability to process. And yet he perseveres. He plays all the tapes, beginning to end, in one sitting. Trying to understand. Shuddering at every new piece to slide into place. Trying to imagine how he can go back to school and face these people, whose reactions now make sense.
It’s as much because of Clay, as because of Hannah, that you won’t be able to stop reading. And while it might seem you could never be left feeling anything but despairing…it’s not true.
This about awareness. This is about change. And most of all, this is about hope.
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Rating:
The wait is over, and another begun. Like its predecessors before it, Eclipse will please, and leave readers wanting more.
Picking up with life in Forks racing towards graduation, Bella is under house arrest, she and Jacob still aren’t speaking, Charlie is barely tolerating Edward, who himself is more polite than Bella thinks Charlie deserves, and her plans to become a vampire are solid as ever. If only that were the end of the list of worries.
There’s still Victoria, forever hunting Bella to avenge her mate’s death. And the Volturi, displeased with a human knowing their secret. And, after winning her freedom, and going to see Jake, Jake and Edwards’ mutual dislike. Edward, of course, is the first to get a grip. And in Bella, the werewolves and the vampires find common ground. After a break-in at her house, Jake and Edward realize Bella, and everyone else involved, would be better protected if the sides worked together. For a long time, that leaves Jacob on his own, largely lacking in sleep, but he won’t hear of not doing his part.
Then there’s the matter of the murders in Seattle. Eventually, the Cullens suspect vampires. Newborns. An area with which Jasper has a great deal of experience.
A plan begins to form, and after some more insightful thought on Bella’s part, changes, as the plot thickens. For her part, she can’t stand any of it. Knowing that her friends are putting themselves in danger for her. Regardless of their claims that it will all work out, she can’t relax. And after hearing in detail what newborns can do, she starts to worry after herself, and what she’ll become when she changes. Whether she’ll still be herself.
A lot of big questions get asked, and answered, in this installment of the series, which is sure to please. For my part, I’m now eagerly, and rather impatiently, awaiting Breaking Dawn.
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Rating:
I read this book while on vacation in Vermont, which seemed really appropriate, even if the book was set in Wisconsin.
D.J., at 15, doesn’t have the world’s most pleasant life. Her two older brother’s have left the house, after a fight with their dad, and dad’s got a bum leg, so it’s up to D.J. to run the farm. She gets occasional help from her younger brother, but he’s big into sports, which come first. And just when she thinks it can’t get any worse, the rival football team QB shows up in her driveway. He was sent, it turns out, to help. Since he doesn’t want to be there, and D.J. doesn’t want him there, you can imagine how it goes.
When his coach, her dad’s best friend, comes by later, she bluntly explains that she think Brian needs a trainer, not a job. Apparently the coach agrees, and suddenly D.J. finds herself in a situation even more unexpected than she began with. She and Brian both reluctantly agree to give it a shot, and by the end of the week have grown quite comfortable with each other.
In the meantime, D.J. has also thought up another plan. After realizing how much she really does know about football, and how much fun she’s had training with Brian, she wants to play. Since she doesn’t know if it’s even possible, she keeps it to herself.
Her mother, a member of the School Board, finds out first, since the Coach brought it up in a meeting. Awkward, to say the least, but she promises to keep the secret. Brian finds out in an even worse manner, on the first day of practice, and her dad finds out last. All of which spurs D.J. to action, calling her brother Bill for the first time since the big fight.
Underlying all the ball, is a pretty insightful look into families and their dysfunctions and how easy some of them can be to avoid.
If you’re looking for a nice light read with a lot of laughs, this one’s for you.
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Rating:
Sequel to Blue Bloods, this is a title I’d been waiting for awhile. And in no way did it disappoint.
Schuyler, off in Italy searching for her grandfather with best friend Ollie, is missing school, and all the preparations for the Four Hundred Ball. And the even more exclusive party Mimi Force has decided to throw afterwards. With Cordelia dead, Schuyler is pretty much alone in the world, and growing desperate that her search has led her nowhere. Even worse…when she does finally find what she’s looking for, it leaves her only more disappointed.
Back in NYC, rumors of the Silver Bloods still abound, and still the Committee claims there’s no need to worry. Only when they lose one of their own do they sit up and take notice.
Schuyler’s grandfather, ashamed at the words she’d left him with in Venice, has come home. He alone believed in the Silver Bloods, and took steps to train Schuyler against an attack. When the attack comes, he moves for a vote of new leadership of the Committee. In the meantime, he’s embroiled in a personal battle–the battle for custody of Schuyler. With Cordelia gone, Charles Force has petitioned the court for custody of Schuyler. Schuyler wants none of it.
There’s no lack of tension in this story, between the mystery, the danger, the love triangle, and the subplots. Blue Bloods fans will be well pleased, and left hanging, looking forward to what’s next.
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Rating:
I have to say this is one of the best books I’ve read this year–and also one of the hardest. All I can say is, you’ll probably hit a point where you’re not sure you can read this story, but if you hang in with it, it will all be worth it.
Boy Toy tells the tale of Josh Mendel, South Brook High attendee, ball player, and news item. At least, if you asked him, he’d tell you he’s all people talk about. Him, and the past he’d rather forget. It all started on his 13th birthday, with an incident in a closet gone wrong–if you asked him. In actuality, it started long before that, when Josh was still 12, but being smack in the middle of it, he just didn’t notice. In fact, looking back, even after so long, he still has a hard time figuring out where it all went wrong.
In seventh grade, Josh was ahead of his time. Smart in a way most couldn’t understand, which left him with an equal non-understanding, since it all came so naturally to him, and mature for his age, Josh was in a league of his own. A fact which his History teacher, Mrs. Sherman, didn’t fail to notice. And by the way? She’s 24, and gorgeous.
After a mishap involving missing his bus during an emergency closing, Josh finds himself stranded at school. Mrs. Sherman, not yet gone herself, offers to call his mother for the school and sort it out, since she lives close by and can spare the time. But Mrs. Mendel is also stranded. The roads by here have been closed and will be for hours. And so it is Josh makes his first trip to Mrs. Sherman’s apartment, which turns out to be a kid’s dream: video games galore, thanks to her husband’s occupation as a game tester.
Not long after his afternoon in heaven, Mrs. Sherman seeks permission from Josh’s parents to use him in a grad school project. Her timing, as it turns out, is perfect. Mr. Mendel has been hounding his wife about going back to work, concerned that Josh is too young to spend time home alone. With Josh spending afternoons with his teacher, Mrs. Mendel can now work without the guilt, and his father can allay his fears.
As time progresses, Josh goes from spending afternoons at school doing tests, to sitting on Mrs. Sherman’s couch doing tests. His visits get longer, and longer, which lets his mother work later without worry. Soon he’s eating most of his dinners with Mrs. Sherman and George, who enjoys coming home and watching Josh beat whatever game happens to be in the Xbox at the time. Eventually, all Josh is doing is playing games and hanging out. And Mrs. Sherman is morphing from teacher to friend. Some days it’s too much to try and remember not to call her Eve at school. But when Eve tries to cut off their afternoon’s together, after having kissed, Josh is distraught and begs her to let him stay.
He has fun at her place. He can play games, unlike at home. He gets treated like an adult. He doesn’t want to lose that. And so she relents. And things progress. Right up until the night in the closet with his best friend Rachel, where her kiss sets his mind to automatic pilot, leaving her scared and confused and Josh feeling a freak.
The relationship with Eve comes out, and Rachel’s parents immediately drop the charges. But for Josh, the damage is done. He no longer knows how to face Rachel, which breaks up the four musketeers and leaves him with only one friend: Zik. His parents and the police hound him endlessly, but he doesn’t want to betray Eve too. He promised he wouldn’t.
But in the end, they wear him down, and he fills legal pads with his story. Because he remembers it all. Only on the stand in court, even faced with his books, he doesn’t want to talk. Seeing his distress, Eve changes her plea to guilty and confesses all. Her confession ends up on the internet. And even though it states no names, Josh is sure everyone knows it was him, and is just as sure everyone’s read it. Which is why, if you asked Josh, everyone is talking about him.
This ordeal turns Josh’s High School career into an effort to blend into the shadows. Aside from classes and baseball, where his sole role is that of Designated Hitter, Josh steers clear. He also avoids Rachel at all costs. Until Eve is released and in his confusion he visits The Narc during Rachel’s shift and walks right into her.
Over the next few weeks, Josh regains his friend, albeit with some discomfort. He gets roped into Prom. He finally spills about just what happened, after losing a bet. And he starts to gain some true understanding, including the most important one of all. For five years, he’s been living a misconception. And only that realization can truly set him free.
Note: Boy Toy is scheduled for release in September.
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