Me, Him, Them, and It

Me, Him, Them, and It

by Caela Carter

 

When Evelyn decided to piss off her parents with a bad reputation, she wasn't planning to ruin her valedictorian status. She also wasn't planning to fall for Todd-the guy she was just using for sex. And she definitely wasn't planning on getting pregnant. When Todd turns his back on her, Evelyn's not sure where to go. Can a distant mother, a cheating father, an angry best friend, and a (thankfully) loving aunt with adopted daughters of her own help Evelyn make the heart-wrenching decisions that follow? (decsription from Amazon.com)

 

This book was just what I needed to get me out of my mini reading funk.  I think I'd read too many fantasy based book recently, so I knew I needed some good realistic fiction.  Me, Him, Them, and It fit the bill perfectly!

 

Carter depicts a teenage girl who makes a mistake and then must pay the consequences for it.  I really liked how Evelyn was not just some "bad" girl who accidentally winds up pregnant...she is a future valedictorian rebelling against her parents in the worst possible way.  She felt like a hugely well-rounded character to me.  In fact, I loved most of the characters.  They were flawed and realistic and even if some might not have been fully developed, they at least represented a really varied cast of characters.

 

Seeing the confused and scared way that Evie reacts over the nine months felt "real." I couldn't imagine what I would have done in that situation and I thought Carter did an excellent job conveying all the emotional turmoil that erupted in Evie's life.  This is a book that pulls no punches emotionally.  I cried my way through the ending.  Heartbroken, awed, and then optimistically, yet cautiously joyous. 

 

I found myself comparing this book to Holly Cupala's Tell Me a Secret. They both cover an unexpected teen pregnancy in a very realistic and emotionally evocative way. If you liked that one, check this one out...and if you like this one, check out that one next!

 

Full disclosure: eARC received from Netgalley for review

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25

The Prisoner of Cell 25

by Richard Paul Evans

Michael Vey, book one

My name is Michael Vey, and the story I’m about to tell you is strange. Very strange. It’s my story.

 

To everyone at Meridian High School, Michael Vey is an ordinary fourteen-year-old. In fact, the only thing that seems to set him apart is the fact that he has Tourette’s syndrome. But Michael is anything but ordinary. Michael has special powers. Electric powers. Michael thinks he's unique until he discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor also has special powers. With the help of Michael’s friend, Ostin, the three of them set out to discover how Michael and Taylor ended up this way, but their investigation brings them to the attention of a powerful group who wants to control the electric children – and through them the world. Michael will have to rely on his wits, powers, and friends if he’s to survive. (description from Amazon.com)

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If you love adventure and people with crazy powers, you need to check out this book.  I was surprised how easily I was drawn into it. I found myself turning pages faster and faster...

Michael was a good character. Not perfect, by any means, and he acknowledges that... but he loves his friends and his mom with everything he has, and he tries to do the right thing whenever he can.  He also has the crazy power to shock people, like an electric eel! Wowza! I kept thinking how much it would hurt to get shocked by him.  *shudders*

Though I've never read anything by this author before (his adult books are a different style), I will definitely be making time sometime this fall to squeeze in book two, Rise of the Elgen.

Mini Reviews: The Growing Up Edition

Addie on the Inside

by James Howe 

companion to The Misfits

The Gang of Five is back in this third story from Paintbrush Falls. Addie Carle, the only girl in the group of friends is outspoken, opinionated, and sometimes…just a bit obnoxious.

But as seventh grade progresses, Addie’s not so sure anymore about who she is. It seems her tough exterior is just a little too tough and that doesn’t help her deal with the turmoil she feels on the inside as she faces the pains of growing up. (description from Amazon.com)

Told through a series of poignant poems, this is a beautiful story of a girl just trying to make it through seventh grade. Lots of issues are covered here, but in a really accessible, believable way. A quick read that is well worth checking out!

Fighting Ruben Wolfe

by Markus Zusak

sequel to The Underdog

The working class family of Cameron Wolfe and his brother Ruben isn't having much luck these days. Their dad has just lost his job and is too proud to go on welfare. Their older brother has moved out of the house in disgust. Which leaves them open to suggestion when a local boxing promotor signs them up for illegal bouts. But it's more than the meager winnings that draws the two brothers in. Soon they find themselves fighting for something else. Is it pride? Love? Or just the experience of winning for once? (description from Amazon.com)

 

I was surprised how much I loved this story.  It may seem to be about two brothers who decide to box on the side for money, but really it's about a family struggling to make it through a recession.  A family of survivors, fighters, that come together to beat all the odds!

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for SLJ

How to Save a Life

by Sara Zarr

Jill MacSweeny just wishes everything could go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends--everyone who wants to support her. And when her mom decides to adopt a baby, it feels like she's somehow trying to replace a lost family member with a new one.

 

Mandy Kalinowski understands what it's like to grow up unwanted--to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, one thing she's sure of is that she wants a better life for her baby. It's harder to be sure of herself. Will she ever find someone to care for her, too?

As their worlds change around them, Jill and Mandy must learn to both let go and hold on, and that nothing is as easy--or as difficult--as it seems. (description from Amazon.com)

 

A touching story that made me cry over and over again. Jill was a phenomenal character and I was surprised how much I ended up liking Mandy, too.  Love transcends all...

 

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for AudioFile magazine