Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

This book has been a favorite in my classroom for two years now. Since the first time I book talked it, I don't think it's been on the shelf, and every student who has read it has obsessively devoured it!

The exposition is intriguing, and the story never lets up from then on out. High school student Clay Jensen returns home from school one day to find a mysterious package at his front door. When he opens the package, he finds a number of cassette tapes and instructions. He plays the first tape and is shocked to hear the voice of Hannah Baker, a former crush who committed suicide the previous week. We learn that prior to her death, Hannah recorded detailed tapes outlining the "thirteen reasons why" she decided to end her life. She states that those in possession of the tapes are one of those reasons. It is Hannah's ultimate wish that those involved come face to face with their roles in her life. Each recipient must listen to the tapes until they hear their own story, as well as the next person on the tape. After that, he/she may continue to listen or stop. The important thing is that the tapes are delivered to the next person on the list. Hannah has entrusted someone in the community with a second set of the tapes, and instructs this person to make them public should the chain stop. This is essential, as they contain many very dark secrets of some very unlikely high school students.

The story is told in alternating points of view. We hear Clay's reaction to each of the stories, and wait in anticipation to hear his role in the story. Alternately, we hear Hannah's voice from beyond tell her very real, very painful, and very surprising story. Because of this dual perspective, both boys and girls could relate and enjoy the story.

I think this book is so important for many reasons, but mostly because it shows readers not only the effects of their actions, but of their inactions. There were so many heartbreaking moments when bystanders chose to allow Hannah to suffer alone. It also shows that sometimes it is the most unlikely person who is suffering, as Hannah is a beautiful, intelligent student at her high school.

Although I knew from the start that Hannah would end her life, I found myself pleading with her to make an alternate decision right down to the very last page.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

I am a huge fan of pretty much everything Anderson has ever written. She has the ability to truly the capture the voice of every protagonist, and every story she tells is different. This book didn't let me down, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a tense, dramatic read.

In Anderson's newest book, she tackles the topic of eating disorders. I often find that authors write about this topic in a trite, formulaic manner that is far from the experience that many actually have. Luckily, Anderson spent a lot of time doing her research, and it shows.

We meet our protagonist Lia just after she learns of the death of her friend Cassie. Cassie was found dead in a hotel room, and the details surrounding her death unfold throughout the book. Lia & Cassie had been best friends since childhood, but the relationship took a competitive and disturbing twist as the girls entered puberty. Both girls developed eating disorders, and encouraged one another in the pursuit of being thin.

At one point, the friendship broke off, and each girl is left to deal on her own. While Lia took steps towards recovery, Cassie continued her demise. Regardless, Cassie still obviously held Lia dear to her heart, as we learn she attempted to call her 33 times on the night she died. As the story unfolds, we discover the events surrounding and ultimate cause of Cassie's death. The main storyline follows Lia as the guilt of not being able to save her friend triggers a relapse. We watch helplessly as she begins taking herself, not unknowingly, down the same dangerous path her friend traveled, and it's not clear until the final pages whether or not her story will end differently.

This story pulled me in emotionally from the beginning. Although it is not "uplifting", there are definite lessons to be learned. The text can become complicated, especially since it becomes increasingly difficult to discover what is reality, and what is a figment of Lia's deteriorating mental state. I really, really recommend this book!

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

This is a great read for those of you who love a good, old-fashioned ghost story. Although several elements of the story have been "done" before, that's one of the things that pulled me in. It reminded me of scary movies I watched, books I read, and stories we told when I was in middle school. A little bit of nostalgia goes a long way :)

Our main character Alexis is attempting to get through her typical high school existence as painlessly as possible. She's not exactly an "It" girl, and does her best to avoid the drama created by the cheerleaders who rule. At home, her parents are distant at best, and she's growing increasingly worried about her younger sister, Kasey.

Even though Kasey is thirteen years old, she develops a strange obsession with dolls (which, in my personal opinion, are usually creepy anyway). Kasey is behaving strangely in other ways, too, and she is becoming increasingly violent. During these episodes, she uses out-of-date language and her eyes turn from blue to green. After they occur, Kasey has no memory of them. Additionally, the house is changing. There are strange noises, cold air, and unexplained events, all of which add to the creepy mood.

Alexis begins by making excuses for her sister, but ultimately can't when her behavior becomes life threatening. The author does a great job of leading the reader down a twisting road to a climactic and dramatic ending. Special note: although the book's protagonist is female, male readers shouldn't shy away from this one! It is in no way girly, I promise!

Reality Check by Peter Abrahams

We meet our protagonist, Cody Laredo, as he is finishing his sophomore year of high school. He has every reason to be thrilled: he's dating a beautiful girl, and he (barely) passed all of his classes, making him eligible to return to his spot as the school's varsity quarterback. Football is truly the only reason he even goes to school, and he sees it as his ticket out of town and onto bigger and better things.

Life slowly starts to unravel when the rich father of his girlfriend Clea determines her only chance of making it into an Ivy League school is to get out of their small town. He abruptly enrolls her in a prestigious boarding school in Vermont, and suddenly she seems to be out of Cody's life. As the new school year begins, he puts all of his focus into football. Things are going well until Cody sustains a season ending injury. He slips into a depression and begins skipping school. His single father barely notices and doesn't object when Cody eventually drops out to get a job.

The real story begins when Cody spots a headline in a local newspaper: Clea is missing. An accomplished equestrian, she took her horse onto the snowy trails, but only the horse returned. Although they broke up when she moved, Cody still has strong feelings for Clea and drives cross-country to help with the search. Cody's only clue is a letter he received from Clea, mailed the day she went missing. He knows that the letter contains clue to where she is and what happened.

Cody soon learns that football isn't the only thing he's good at; as he enters a new world of secrets, money, and lies, he becomes quite the investigator. This is a novel where nothing is as it seems. I found myself constantly questioning the motives of everyone involved, and it is not until the final pages when we find out who is good, who is bad, and whether or not Clea is alive.

Peter Abrahams is a well-known author of both YA and adult books. This is the first book of his I've read. It's a classic mystery and a very quick read full of lots of twists and turns. I highly recommend this book to both male and female young adult readers, especially those who love a fast plot. Although the main character is male, the general premise reminded me of Alane Ferguson's Christopher Killer series. I have a lot of former students waiting on the next book in that one (due out October 15!), so check this out in the meantime. Although Abrahams doesn't leave loose ends, he could definitely create a series around Cody.

Day of Tears by Julius Lester

I have a confession to make: sometimes historical fiction bores me. Yes, it's true. I actually enjoy history, but when I'm reading historical fiction, I often feel I'm reading the same story told in the same way. I have found this to be especially true when I'm reading about the Holocaust or slavery within the United States.

So when I spotted Day of Tears in the bookstore some time back, I decided I just wasn't willing to invest money into a hardback book about slavery. I figured it would probably not hold my interest, and it probably wouldn't be much different than so many other YA books on the topic. Cut me some slack-I'm living on a teacher's salary, and I buy my classroom books out of pocket. Needless to say, after finishing this 176 page, paperback book while on a road trip, I was kicking myself for not getting it sooner.

Julius Lester is an accomplished writer who has written much about the history of slavery in this country. He was approached by his publisher to research and write about "The Weeping Time", a period of which he was previously unaware. I, too, was unaware of this event, but I'm grateful to learn more about it through Lester's unique and captivating storytelling.

On March 2 and 3, 1859, the largest slave auction ever to take place in the country was held on the Georgia plantation of Pierce Butler. Butler had been married to English actress Fanny Kemble, who ironically was an abolitionist. At the time of their marriage, Butler assured her he owned no slaves; once arriving at her new husband's home she discoverd otherwise and sought to educate the slaves in the hopes of turning over the plantation to them. It was her belief that since they were the reason for its success, they should own it. Pierce felt otherwise, and after having two daughters the couple divorced. Fanny returned to England, and her ex-husband made sure their daughters had limited contact with her. Eventually, because of his poor card playing skills, Butler was forced to sell off several of his properties, and most of his most valuable assets: his slaves. In all, he sold nearly 440 men, women, and children, many of whom he had grown up with from childhood. History reports that for the two days the auction took place, the sky sent unrentlentless sheets of rain to the Earth. Many felt that this was no ordinary rain, but "God's tears", thus earning it the name "The Weeping Time".

The author skillfully weaves the above backstory throughout the book, but the heart of the novel centers around the two days of the auction. The novel is described as being "a novel in dialogue", and it takes on an almost playlike format, as the characters give alternating, monologue-like perspectives of their experience on the days of the auction. Although brief, this is one of the most powerful books on the topic I have ever read. Although students in sixth and seventh grade could read and comprehend the book, I think the format, rich figurative language, and intensity lends itself to readers in grades eight and up.

I use Sharon Draper's Copper Sun in my classroom, and I think this book would be an outstanding companion novel for that. Anyone with an interest in the history of our country should pick this up. For those who aren't interested in history, this novel will be a pleasant surprise. Everyone needs to read this one!

Deadly Little Secrets by Laurie Faria Stolarz

So many of my students were hooked on Stolarz's Blue is for Nightmares series (ps-Black is for Beginnings is to be released in September in graphic novel format), so I was thrilled when she released this book. It is the first in a new series, with the second book to be released November 10. Laurie apparently has more hours in her day than the rest of us.

Although I was annoyed by the first chapter, I grew to really love this book. To sum up chapter one, our main character, Camelia, drops her earring as she walks across the parking lot of her high school. A car comes racing towards her, but she is suddenly shoved out of the way by a mystery boy. The real mystery begins when the boy places his hand on Camelia's stomach. An almost electric shock passes between them, and his face grows serious as he seems to be "connecting" with her in some way. This introduction seemed just a little too familiar to me (can I get an "Amen!" Twilight folks?), and although the supernatural comes into play the text remained vampire free.

Camelia soon learns that her mystery savior is Ben Carter, a new student with a serious past. In his old hometown, he was rumored to be responsible for the death of his girlfriend who fell to her death from a cliff. Although the charges were dropped, the consensus of most is that he was guilty. Against the advice of her two best friends, Camelia can't help but to be intrigued by Ben, and consequently pursues him.

A second plot line is created as we learn someone is stalking Camelia. She begins receiving various gifts with notes that grow increasingly threatening. At one point she even comes home to discover someone has broken into her room and scrawled a horrible message on her mirror. As a reader I had several suspects (including Ben) in mind until the very end.

I enjoyed the author's use of alternating perspectives. Some chapters are told from Camelia's first person accounts, while others are from the creepy journal of her stalker. Through these journals we realize just how crazy this stalker is, and just how much danger Camelia faces.

Readers who have enjoyed Twilight, Blue is for Nightmares, or any teen suspense book/movie should pick up this book! It is a fast read that will leave you wanting the second book now!

The Death of Jayson Porter by Jaime Adoff

It's been awhile...life has been crazy, and I haven't had much time to sit at the computer and type. I have a stack of books that need to be reviewed before school starts and life really gets out of control.

About a year ago I was at a writing competition with a student and the keynote speaker was an author named Jaime Adoff. He is from Yellow Springs, and is the son of author Virginia Hamilton and poet Arnold Adoff. He was a very engaging speaker, and immediately after his presentation I bought several of his books. Unfortunately, they sat on my shelf for the last year (I have a book buying problem). The good news is I finally remembered it, devoured it in a few hours, and LOVED it!

Adoff has chosen an interesting plot structure that hooks you from page one. The story begins as Jayson describes the experience of plummeting towards the ground after jumping off of a building in a suicide attempt:

I am a bullet screaming to the ground. The air rushing past me, so fast I can't breathe. I am gasping. The sound--like a 747 taking off in my eardrums. Getting louder and louder.
The ground getting closer and closer. This is supposed to get rid of my pain, get rid of it forever.This is my cure. It HURTS. It wasn't supposed to hurt. I was supposed to go unconscious. I haven't passed out yet, and it hurts. It hurts 'cause I can't breathe. My chest collapsing against itself, squeezing all my insides OUT. Squeezing everything. The building an upside-down blur, balconies racing past me (Adoff 5-6).

Adoff then goes back in time and takes us through some of the events that have led Jayson to the decision to end his life. We learn about his physically and mentally abusive, drug addicted mother with whom he lives, his deadbeat dad who flits in and out of his life, his struggles as a biracial student in a predominately white school on a scholarship. Jayson tries to keep his head up, but each time he seems to take a step forward life takes another drastic turn and throws him two steps back. After several particularly horrific events, he finally follows through on the suicide attempt he's seen playing in his head for months. He survives, but his problems are far from being solved. His parents are still the same people, his environment is still the same, and he must now deal with additional mental, emotional, and physical hardships.

This book is not necessarily uplifting, but I will say the author leaves the reader with a sense of hope in the final pages. Adoff's words are deliberately and beautifully written in a style that seems to be a reflection of both of his parents: part prose, part poetry. I highly recommend this book for males and females who like intense story lines and well-developed characters.