Michigan vs. The Boys by Carrie S. Allen (We Both Liked This Teen Book)

Michigan vs. The Boys by Carrie S. Allen is a YA novel about a girl who loves to play hockey who tries out for the boys' team when the High School cuts out the girls' team due to lack of funds. I thought this book was pretty good.  It is written for teens so I was able to figure out what was going to happen, but I still enjoyed it and give it a solid 4 stars.  I am sure tomboy girls would love it!  It goes very fast, a quick read.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Karen's review:
Michigan vs. The Boys by Carrie S. Allen is an interesting story about Michigan, a high school student whose hockey team was cut due to lack of funds. She loves hockey and wants to keep playing no matter what! When alternatives her friends find do not work for her, she decides to try out for the boys’ team and makes it. Although she is a very good player, even better than a lot of the boys on the team, they are not happy, especially the ones who feel cut because of her! They all give her a hard time except the goalie, who is at least civil to her. The captain, Daniel, is the ring leader and the coach pretty much backs him up in an effort to get her to quit. When she proves to be tougher than they thought, Daniel sets her up in an effort to get her kicked off the team. That is when she finally reports it to the authorities.

I enjoyed this book but thought Michigan let things to too far. She should have reported the incidents right away. Anyhow, this is a good book for any young athlete to read. There is some hockey action, but mostly it’s about practices and off the rink fallout from the hazing Michigan receives. Her brother is a great character who is very supportive of her and for whose team Michigan is an assistant coach. I recommend this book to any girl athlete. I think girls would like it more than boys but it would be good for them to read it as well. (4 stars)


Teaser from page 13:  I'm happiest when I have skates on my feet, a stick in my hands and teammates by my side.  "Please . . ."  My voice cracks and the rest of my plea sticks in my throat.

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"The Institute" by Stephen King (Husband and Wife Both Liked This One!)

The Institute by Stephen King got my attention and kept it throughout the book.  There are no boring parts in this!  I normally do not like Stephen King books; however, this one involving kids peaked my curiosity.  It is horror because of the emotional and physical pain the children endure.  It is about a bunch of kids who were kidnapped for experimentation on developing their special telekinesis and telepathy abilities for the good of the world.  I liked the group dynamics among the kids and how they became friends and worked together to escape the Institute.  It is not all horrific.  There are some funny lines and lots of adventure.  The ending didn't really make sense to me, but I liked the book anyway.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 10/24/19:
The Institute by Stephen King is about children who are really smart and have a special ability to do something are taken and put into a large building.  They are held there and are experimented on and they better behave, or else!  Who is doing this and why?  What about the families of these children?

This is very good!  It flows well and is action packed to be sure!  The ending was amazing!  Good stuff!  (5++ stars) 

Teaser from page 63:  Something began to flutter in his chest, and he took several deep breaths to try and quiet it.  He went to the door and grasped the knob, sure he would find himself locked in.

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Million-Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica

Million-Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica is about the friendship of Nate and Abby, two 13-yr.-olds. They are best friends. Nate loves playing football and Abby loves art and watching Nate play football. Abby gets Nate to sign up for a football throwing contest that offers a prize of 1 million dollars. Nate is the quarterback on his team and idolizes Tom Brady, the Patriots QB. Nate has a great arm, but when he becomes distracted with family financial pressures, getting nervous about trying to win the million dollars, and finding out that Abby is losing her eye sight, he starts playing badly and loses his confidence. Can he get it back in time for the throwing contest? If he wins, what will he do with the million dollars?

This is a pretty good story about friendship, courage and football. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to kids or young teens. (Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 19: “You’re the one who’s always telling me that the very best part of sports is how it can make a new memory for you practically every day. And right now you’ve got a memory going that will last both of us our whole lives, whether you make the throw or not.”

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"The Nickel Boys" by Colson Whitehead

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead is based on a real story.  This book takes place in the early 60s.  Elwood is a young boy who makes a mistake and is sentenced to a reform school called "Nickel."  There he meets a young boy named Turner.  Nickel is a rough school, but especially for young black boys.

This is a short book so a quick read.  I liked the contrast in thinking between Turner and Elwood and how they handled their time in Nickel, a school with very corrupt officials. 
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 17:  He'd been so proud of his ability, dumb and simple as it was.  He never settled on one conclusion until he got to Nickel, which made the truth of the contests unavoidable.

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"The Wife Between Us" by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen has incorrectly been compared to Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train in my opinion.  I think it's laughable!  Those two books were way better!  The three main characters in this book are Richard, who has tons of money; Vanessa, who was his wife for a while; and Emma, his soon-to-be-wife.  This book had its moments, but needed more action for me.  The story line was okay and the ending was very good which surprised me!
(Gerard's review, 3.5 stars)

Karen's review:
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is a slow moving psychological thriller with twists I didn’t see coming. Richard appears to be the perfect husband, but when his “perfect” wife doesn’t meet his high expectations, he loses his temper. It’s almost as if he is two different people, very caring and affectionate at times, and then abusive and mean at other times. When Vanessa feels guilty about her manipulating, she actually tries to save Richard’s finance from marrying him.

This book was very slow moving for me about a bad marriage and the only reason I kept reading was because it was recommended to me by a friend. It does pick up and becomes more interesting eventually, but I had to plow my way through it. Some things just made no sense to me in the beginning. If you don’t mind a long road to a satisfying ending, then you would probably enjoy this one. If you prefer a fast-paced, action packed book with adventure and twists and turns, skip this one. It’s not for you. I only liked one character, Samantha, who was not a main one. (3 stars)

Teaser from page 19: Richard is engaged. My husband is actually going to marry her.


Teaser from page 10:  Morning is the worst time because, for a brief moment, my brain is clear.  The reprieve is so cruel.

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"RULES" by Cynthia Lord

RULES by Cynthia Lord is about Catherine, a girl who has a younger brother who is autistic. Sometimes he embarrasses her and she feels stuck babysitting him all the time. She also feels as though her parents do things with him and ignore her. Her best friend moved to California to be with her dad for the summer, so she is very excited about a girl her age moving into the house next door. While accompanying her mom and brother to his occupational therapy, Catherine made a friend who also came for therapy. Jason was her age in a wheelchair and could hear, but could not speak.

This book is geared to kids/young teens to help them understand people with disabilities. It is very short and goes quick. I liked the guinea pigs and my favorite part was when Catherine pushed Jason fast round the parking lot so he could get a sense of what running feels like. I thought it had a pretty good message about not worrying so much what other people think. (Karen’s review, 3 stars)

Teaser from page 73: Jason laughs, a sharp bark like a Canada goose. His mother looks up from her magazine as I scan the room and see everyone watching us.


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"Nyxia Uprising" by Scott Reintgen (Last in the Series)

Nyxia Uprising by Scott Reintgen is the amazing final book in the science fiction Nyxia series. I loved it and what a page turner it is once you get into it. It took me a little while to reconnect with the characters because it’s been such a long time since I finished the previous book. It is chock full of adventure, suspense, heartbreak, and tender moments. Some characters die in it that was sad; however, that just made it more believable. There is some humor in this one but not as much as in the others. It is truly an awesome book about working together to accomplish great things. I loved this series—it is my favorite science fiction series! (Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 74: “Fear does nothing. Don’t spend time on it. Fight instead. Lead. When all of this ends, we’ll kiss our men and go home and live like queens.”


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"Wunderland" by Jennifer Cody Epstein

WOW!  What a fantastic book Wunderland by Jennifer Cody Epstein is to finish the month of April!  There are two main stories in this book:  (1)   Ilse and Renate are the two young girls and best of friends!  However, the infiltration with the Hitler youth movement will put that friendship to the test like nothing else would!  (2)  Things have never been easy between Ava and her estranged mother Ilse.  Ava has so many questions; however, when her mom's ashes arrive in a box from Germany and a bunch of letters addressed to Renate, Ava will learn the shocking story of her mom she never knew!

This is very good!  Ilse and Renate were both great characters!  I thought both of the stories were really well written and enjoyed this book a lot!  Believe the hype!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 39:  But Ava could only shake her head, overwhelmed not just by the gift but by the stark realization that for all her self-declared independence and self-sufficiency, for all her written protestations to her friends that she'd been "managing just fine" alone, she hadn't been.  Not at all.

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"Convenient Lies" by Robin Patchen

Convenient Lies by Robin Patchen is book one in the Hidden Truth series. This is a page-turner thriller about Rae, a journalist, who discovers Julian, her husband, is a terrorist who already has a wife! But then, Rae had secrets from him as well. She decides to leave Julien with their 12-day-old son and go back to her grandma’s to get some gold coins her dad told her he hid for her, then disappear with her grandma. She stole some of her husband’s files for insurance, leaving him a note in the hopes that he would let her leave in exchange for her silence about his selling weapons to terrorists. She is thrown for a loop though when her plan unravels. Will she be able to keep her son safe and not let him be raised by a terrorist? Will she be able to start a new life? Will her old flame be able to win her back and build a life together? Will Julien track her down and what will he do when he finds her?

This is a good thriller because it mixed the terrorist with family life and brought out how complicated relationships can get. I enjoyed the story line and thought Julien was a very interesting character. I also liked Brady, Rae’s old flame and was pulling for him to find a way to protect her and get back together with her. I plan to continue with this series.
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 1: There were only two people Rachel Adams trusted. One was twelve days old, and the other had mysteriously quit answering her phone.


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"The Deepest Blue" by Sarah Beth Durst (Fantasy) We Both Loved This One!

The Deepest Blue by Sarah Beth Durst is a fantasy about bloodthirsty nature spirits, love, adventure, sea monsters and politics on the Belene Islands south of Renthia.  Mayara successfully kept her spirit power a secret for years, only confiding in her best friend, Kelo who is now her fiance.  Unfortunately, on her wedding day, she used her special power to stop the big spirit storm from destroying her island.  That is when her adventure starts and she finds out what she is truly made of.  When the "Silent Ones" eventually find her, she is faced with a difficult choice:  denounce her family, leave her home forever and don't talk to join the Silent Ones or take her chances at trying to survive for a month on an island that is home to many nature spirits who are hungry and then become heir to the queen of Belene with the opportunity to visit her loved ones again.

I enjoyed reading this book very much, it is so good!  I liked the humorous parts and the characters.  The plot had twists I did not see coming at all and I was turning pages quickly eager to find out what would happen next.  My emotions were all over the place with this one--amusement, sadness, joy and curiosity.  This is a stand alone with a great ending!  I finished reading this one in just two days and recommend to anyone who enjoys uncomplicated fantasy.  (I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review--this book comes out March 19, 2019.)
(Karen's review 3/15/19, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 3/18/19:
In The Deepest Blue by Sarah Beth Durst, it starts off with Mayara's wedding day--a day to celebrate. But even before the vows are said, Mayara makes a decision that puts her future in doubt!  Can she get her and her husband's plans back on track, or is their future doomed?  The pacing of this book is very well done.  The best thing about this book to me was the interaction between all of the characters.  I really cared about what was going to happen.  The ending of the book was a wild ride to say the least!  Great job, Sarah!  (5++ stars) 

Teaser from page 73:  "Because you've arrived, we all get to die that much sooner.  Hurray.  So happy to meet you."

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"Evermore" by Sara Holland

Evermore by Sara Holland is the sequel to Everless.  Both are good.  Evermore focuses on the Alchemist's (snake) quest to kill the Sorceress (fox) with lots of adventure, close calls, and unexpected romance.  Jules super power of controlling time becomes stronger in this book and she gets back some memories from her past lives.  Liam has a much bigger part in this book.

This went pretty fast because there was so much action.  I raced through it and liked the ending.  The magic was a bit confusing to me, but still, a good read.
(Karen's review 2/9/19, 4 stars)

Gerard's review 2/16/19:
Evermore by Sara Holland is the follow-up to Everless.  Jules finds out who she really is and Caro wants what Jules has and will do anything to get it back!  I thought this book was better than the first because it had lots more action and did not really know what to expect next!  I liked the ending.  (5 stars)

Teaser from page 5:  Word of my crimes has spread to every corner of Sempera.  That I seduced Roan Gerling while a servant at Everless and used him to gain access to the visiting Queen's chambers.  Then cut Roan's throat and stabbed the Queen through the heart.

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"Stolen Marriage" by Diane Chamberlain

In Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain, during 1943-1955, Tess is engaged to her childhood friend, Vincent.  Tess and Vincent are both devout Catholics in Maryland, and look forward to working together, he as doctor and she as nurse.  However, when a polio epidemic breaks out in Chicago, Vincent, a fine doctor goes to help.  A couple weeks turns into many and although they write, Tess gets impatient for his return.  Her girlfriend, Gina, whose husband is off at war talks Tess into taking a short fun trip to Washington, D.C. and staying at her aunt's little tourist hotel.  Then something happens that changes everything and throws a monkey wrench into her life!  She gets drunk and a total stranger takes her virginity!  She feels so ashamed and then a couple months later discovers she is pregnant!  Will she and Vincent still get married?  What will she do about the baby?  Will she even get her nursing license?  You'll have to read the book to find out, I'm not telling.

I liked this book and felt bad for Tess.  There are a lot of well-developed characters that become a part of Tess' life and there are a lot issues happening in this book including inter-racial marriage, family secrets, grief, relationships, acceptance, love and the amazing story of how Hickory, North Carolina volunteers got a Polio hospital built and functioning in just 54 hours that is based on true events. This is a good story that I think would be a good read for a book club.  I am giving it 4 stars just because I enjoyed other books by Diane Chamberlain more.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 33:  The night before came back to me in a rush and I kept my eyes squeezed tightly closed in regret.  What had I done?  I'd made love--no, I'd had sex--with a stranger.  Oh, to be able to take it all back!

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"Nyxia" by Scott Reintgen is First in this Sci-Fi Series

Nyxia by Scott Reintgen reminded me a lot of Ender's Game which I loved!  A group of teens are chosen by Babel Communications to train to travel to Eden, an inhabited planet, to mine an amazing new mineral called Nyxia.  If they are chosen, they will be paid lots more money in addition to what they got just for signing the contract.  Out of ten trying out from around the world, only the top eight will be able to actually go on the mission.  All have hard luck stories and are from poor families so the money is a great incentive.  Emmett, the narrator of the story and one of the recruits, is from Detroit and really wants to go bad to help his parents.  Can he make it without sacrificing his morals?

This book had my interest right from page one and kept it all the way through.  I loved the adventure, the competition, getting to know all the contestants and the drama of the dynamics among the characters.  Emmett is a good guy but wasn't the best at challenges.  I liked the twists throughout the book and the surprises Babel created.  The only thing I didn't care for was when the one character who I liked very much got killed.  I thought the challenges were fun and interesting!  If you like competition, lots of interaction among competitors and science fiction, I would highly recommend this book!  I can't wait to read book 2 in this series!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)


Teaser from page 51:  "I know you'd be a good person to team up with, Kaya, but why would you want to team up with me?  I'm in ninth place."
 
Gerard's review:
Nyxia by Scott Reintgen is told by Emmett.  He is one of ten young people picked for a very special assignment!  He has a chance to go on a hidden planet.  Besides that, a huge money payout will be rewarded also!  But only eight will get to go.  Let the games begin!

This book is sort of a mix of Hunger Games and Divergent minus all the killing.  I thought it was interesting how the ten players interacted with each other.  Emmett is a good guy and I was rooting for him.  Could have used more action in my opinion; however, it picked up in that at the end.  I enjoyed it enough to read book 2 in this series.
(4 stars)



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"Fast Break" by Mike Lupica

Fast Break by Mike Lupica is a fast read because it is so good!  It is about a 12-yr-old boy named Jayson who sees basketball as his way out of the projects.  When his mom dies, the guy she was living with abandons Jayson and he finds himself on his own, hungry and stealing bread and peanut butter to live.  This book is about him growing into a better teammate and also turning his life around with some help.

I loved this book because it drew me in quickly and I couldn't help but pull for Jayson to have a good life.  There is a lot of basketball in this book at middle school level; however, the main story line is more about Jayson overcoming obstacles in his life and learning to trust people.  I got so absorbed in this one that I missed my bus stop and didn't even notice until another rider told me!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)  

Teaser from page 25:  He walked toward the store and knew in his heart that he was being walked right into the Child Protective Services system.  He didn't know how it worked or where he was going, but he was smart enough to know that the game was officially over.

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"Point Guard" by Mike Lupica

Point Guard by Mike Lupica is about a middle school boys’ basketball team that Cassie tries out for and gets accepted.  She is good friends with Gus, Jack, and Teddy who often hang out and play pickup games together.  Gus is the only one who seems to view having a girl on their team as a problem, even if she is as good as the guys.  The book follows the team’s season and Gus learns how to play with people he doesn’t like and also admits he was wrong about Cassie. 

There is a lot of friendship issues in this book that I doubt boys would care about much.  I think girl basketball players would enjoy this book more than boys.  I thought it was okay but liked others by this author much better.  

(Karen's review, 3 stars)

Teaser from pg. 27:  Gus still wasn't sure if he could explain, even to himself, why he thought Cassie didn't belong, why he didn't want a girl on the team, even if she was his good friend.  He just told himself to focus on being happy that Teddy was in the gym, even as unhappy as he was that Cassie was with him.

 

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"Neverworld Wake" by Marisha Pessl

In Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl, Beatrice has five cool friends she made in high school.  Her boyfriend was the sixth and the leader of the group!  He has a shocking death and two year later, Beatrice is not over it.  Now the old gang is getting back together for the first time since high school graduation.  Beatrice decides to go because she knows secrets about her friends and maybe she can get some answers about her boyfriend's death.

For the most part, this book was pretty good.  Some parts were far fetched, but the ending chapters more than made up for that!  Beatrice was a real good character!  Give this a shot!
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)  

Teaser from page 30:  "You're all nearly dead.  Wedged between life and death."

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"Underdogs" by Mike Lupica

The Underdogs by Mike Lupica is a football story about a youth football team in a small town that can’t afford another season. Will comes up with a way to save the team, but they are one player short until they let a girl try out. Of course, there is some tension over letting a girl on the team and also they need a coach. Will is determined to not let the town take away football from and actively seeks a coach.

This is predictable, but a very good football story with dads and sons bonding, a girl proving she can play, and overcoming many hurdles to get to the championship game. I liked the football action, the team dynamics and the interaction between Will and Grayson.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page  83:  So Will wasn't even close to giving up yet, on the season or on Toby or getting the coach he wanted, the coach he knew would be perfect for his underdog team.  What did his dad always say?  'If you don't think you can, you can't.'

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"Summer Ball" by Mike Lupica

Summer Ball by Mike Lupica is a story about Danny, a short 13-yr-old who loves playing basketball.  His dad used to play but had an accident so had to stop.  When his dad wants to send Danny to the Right Way Basketball camp for three weeks, he really does not want to go.  He knows kids will make fun of him and he'll have to prove he can play with guys who are bigger all over again.  He is disappointed when he finds out he is not bunking with his buddies and then gets stuck with an old grouchy coach who he doesn't like.  Danny decides to stick it out and makes some new friends.  He gets his chance to prove he can play.

I enjoyed this book once Danny got to basketball camp.  It has a lot of basketball games, tips for practicing and strategies.  It also has a bit of bullying and follows Danny through his ups and downs.  I think anyone who enjoys basketball would like this book, especially short kids who play basketball!
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 48:  "I never have to play basketball," Danny said.  "I always want to play."  Then he made a sudden cut to the basket.

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"Heat" by Mike Lupica

Heat by Mike Lupica is a story about Michael, a little league pitcher who loves baseball, has a very strong arm and a big secret he shares with his older brother, Carlos.  They are from Cuba, just like Michael's favorite Yankee pitcher!  He pitches lights out until a rival team challenges his eligibility because they can't believe he's only 12.  When he signed up to play, they accepted his baptism certificate as proof of age, but now must produce a birth certificate which his dad apparently forgot to bring when they left Cuba.  He can't play until he gets it!  Michael only cares about playing ball until he sees a mystery girl named watching them practice with an arm as strong as his and is immediately attracted to her.  

I enjoyed this baseball book and liked Michael's relationship with his best friend and catcher, Manny.  There is also some humor along with some actual games.  I liked how Michael and Carlos stuck together and went to great lengths to keep their big secret.  Ellie also added some extra bit of interest to the story.  I recommend this to anyone who likes reading about youth baseball.  I was a bit disappointed that it stopped short of the Little League World Series game in Pennsylvania.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 44:  Michael turned around and looked at Manny.  Who was staring at the girl in the distance the way you stare at fireworks the first time you see them in the sky.  "I saw," Manny said.

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"Team Players" by Mike Lupica

Team Players by Mike Lupica is a children’s book about a girls’ softball team and a boys’ baseball team that I enjoyed. Cassie, an eighth grader, is a good athlete and loves sports. She has some close friends who are boys that she hangs out with. Her dad coaches her softball team and they are good! When a new girl, Sarah, tries out, she easily makes the team because she is so fast and has a great arm. For never having played before, she is pretty amazing and can hit the ball too! She seems weird though to the other girls because of some quirkiness due to her Asperger’s. When Cassie tries to help her fit in, things get crazy causing a lot of drama on her team! Meanwhile, the boys’ team her friends are on have a new coach that is a total jerk so have drama of their own. He just yells constantly and is way too intense which takes all the fun of playing out of it.

This book is like getting a double-header since it covers the team dynamics and season of two teams, not just one. I read it in one day and enjoyed it very much. It is about friendship, sports, and teamwork. As an adult reading this, I identified more with the coach and tried to think how best to handle the dissension on the girls’ team. I highly recommend this to any kid who enjoys baseball or softball, but especially team dynamics.
(Karen's review,5 stars)

Teaser from page 33:  Cassie gave Greta her biggest smile now and said, "We've only known her for two days.  What I think would be weird is not giving her a chance to fit in."

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