Pinned

Pinned
by Sharon Flake

Autumn and Adonis have nothing in common and everything in common. Autumn is outgoing and has lots of friends. Adonis is shy and not so eager to connect with people. But even with their differences, the two have one thing in common--they're each dealing with a handicap. For Autumn, who has a learning disability, reading is a painful struggle that makes it hard to focus in class. But as her school’s most aggressive team wrestler, Autumn can take down any problem. Adonis is confined to a wheelchair. He has no legs. He can't walk or dance. But he’s a strong reader who loves books. Even so, Adonis has a secret he knows someone like Autumn can heal.

In time, Autumn and Adonis are forced to see that our greatest weaknesses can turn into the assets that forever change us and those we love. (description from Amazon.com)

I actually was not that fond of this book. 

 While I liked the fact that Autumn liked Adonis and didn't care at all that he's in a wheelchair, Adonis was pretty much a jerk through the whole book. Even when he comes to appreciate her for who she is, he still wants to keep it a secret that he likes her. No girl should have to settle for that. 

 I also had a hard time reading this book in Autumn's voice, because I kept correcting her speech in my head (example - she would say "I don't read good and teacher keep pushin'" and in my head I would read the sentence then replay it in my head as "I can't read that well and my teacher keeps pushing me to try harder."). It just became exhausting. Ugh.

Not on my recommended list.

Full disclosure: Borrowed through interlibrary loan

Black Howl

Black Howl

by Christina Henry

Black Wings, book three

Something is wrong with the souls of Chicago's dead. Ghosts are walking the streets, and Agent of Death Madeline Black's exasperating boss wants her to figure out why. And while work is bad enough, Maddy has a plethora of personal problems too. Now that Gabriel has been assigned as her thrall, their relationship has hit an impasse. At least her sleazy ex-fiance Nathaniel is out of the picture--or so she thinks... (description from Amazon.com)

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This is one of my go-to just for fun reading series. I love Maddy. She is a tough chickie with too much on her plate who still manages to just get by...usually by the skin of her teeth.  The whole demons thing makes some really interesting plot twists and turns and there is one adorably cranky, sugar-addicted, older gargoyle that I just want to adopt right out of the book!

Urban fiction fans would be well advised to give this series a shot. :)



The Queen Bee of Bridgeton

The Queen Bee of Bridgeton
by Leslie DuBois
Dancing Dream series, book one

When fifteen-year-old Sonya Garrison is accepted into the prestigious Bridgeton Academy, she soon discovers that rich girls are just as dangerous as the thugs in her home of Venton Heights. Maybe more so. After catching the eye of the star, white basketball player and unwittingly becoming the most popular girl in school, she earns the hatred of the three most ruthless and vindictive girls at Bridgeton. Can she defeat the reigning high school royalty? Or will they succeed in ruining her lifelong dream of becoming a world class dancer? (description taken from Amazon.com)

This was the story of a driven, passionate girl who hopes that her dancing can take her out of the ghetto. Sonya is a strong, compassionate, hopeful girl...and a great character to read about. Her motives are always clear and honorable, her passion for dancing is palpable, and her longing to be accepted and loved is heartbreaking.

Sonya begins to dance at age 8 and by the time she is 16, her dream is to attend a prestigious dance school in Rome to help her career as a professional ballerina. The dancing scenes were lovely, full of terminology, but never confusing, and solidly illustrating how devoted Sonya is to her dancing. Even when she begins dating a very intriguing boy, she never truly loses sight of her dancing dreams. Her passion even inspires those around her to become better people.

The juxtaposition of the Bridgeton Academy and Sonya and Sasha's roach-ridden apartment life in Venton Heights perfectly illustrates why both Sonya and Sasha have developed into the girls that they are, both driven to leave the ghetto behind, and why they will never truly be accepted at Bridgeton if anyone learns of where they live. It's sad to realize that race is still an issue and it's good that those feelings, of not being white enough, of not being black enough, are explored in books like this one. It really made me smile when Sonya realized that not everyone would judge her because of where she grew up...that she could be accepted for exactly who she was as a person. :)

I cannot wait to see what happens to Sonya next - where her dancing can truly take her!

Full disclosure: E-book provided by the author for review