"Ender's Shadow" by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card is actually a parallel book to Ender's Game with the main character in this one being Bean.   Bean is a street kid that a nun befriended and recommended to the space Battle School.  Bean is very small and only 4 years old but has advanced intelligence when he gets into the school.

It is interesting how Bean views things and how his leadership skills develop.  I really liked his strong sense of teamwork and how he would get people to work together.  I loved Ender's Game and so it was fun reading about Ender some more, this time from someone else's viewpoint.  I highly recommend this book if you liked Ender's Game.  I gave this 4 stars only because I liked Ender's Game a bit better but that may be just because I read that one first so I had a clue what was going to happen next as I read Ender's Shadow.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Inherit Midnight" by Kate Kae Myers

Inherit Midnight by Kate Kae Myers is about a young girl named Riley.  She is at a school that is not of her choosing.  Her mom and dad are nowhere to be seen in her life.  Her grandmother watches over her.  Riley tries to escape from school but gets caught--all is lost.  But wait, her grandmother comes up with a challenge that could turn her whole life around.  It is going to be hard and long, but she must win!  Will she?

I liked Riley from the get go and the other characters in the book are fine by me too.  There is good action that kept my interest.  If there is a sequel, I will be on it!  Give this a chance, you will be glad you did!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Whipping Boy" by Allen Kurzweil

Whipping Boy by Allen Kurzwell is the true story about Allen who was bullied by a 12-year-old boy named Cesar while attending a Swiss boarding school.  Forty years later, Allen decides to search for and confront Cesar.  The beginning of this book is when he is bullied and how he deals with it which I thought was the most interesting part.  The search to find Cesar was pretty good, but the ending was a bit of a let down.  Still, I enjoyed it.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We Both Liked "Belzhar" by Meg Wolitzer

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer tells the story of five young teens who take a class called "Special Topics in English."  They all seem very different but have two things in common:  they are all good in English composition and they have all had a recent trauma in their life.  They all have been sent to The Wooden Barn, a boarding school in Vermont for fragile teens.  The English class will be like none they ever had before.

Wow, oh wow!  this is so good!  I really liked all the kids and wanted only good for them.  To me, this was a real page turner.  LOVED IT!  I think it would make for a good movie!  I was shocked by the ending--really good!
(Gerard's review) 

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer is teen fiction about love, loss, trauma, friendship and a bit of fantasy.  When five teens are chosen for the “Special Topics in English” class at The Wooden Barn school in Vermont, they experience true friendship and bizarre journal writing that helps them move past their individual traumas and deal with real life.  This is a very interesting read that drew me in right away.  I liked all the main characters in the book and enjoyed seeing how the class “jelled” as the book progressed.  This is a fun read that I recommend to anyone who wants something a little different and unusual.  

(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"The Secret Place" by Tana French

This novel is about a young teen boy found dead on the grounds of an exclusive all-girls school.  One day someone puts up a card on the school bulletin board that they know who killed him.  Do they really or is it just a plot to get some excitement going?

This book is told in two parts:  (1) the action that led up to him being killed, and (2) the two lady detectives trying to figure out if any of the girls know who did it.  Both parts kept my interest and were told very well.  I would have rated it higher if it didn't have so much foul language in it.  The plot is very good though and worth reading.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars--no pluses due to bad language)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Big Little Lies" by Liane Moriarty is GREAT! (UPDATED)

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty is realistic contemporary fiction about school politics, parenting, bullying, secrets, friendship, and domestic violence.  The novel primarily focuses on four couples and one single mother who all have children starting kindergarten at Pirriwee Public School.  The mothers are all very involved at the school and have a lots of interesting interaction.   The whole book leads up to the climax at the School’s annual Parent Trivia Night when one of the parents is killed.  Here is a teaser from pg. 637 that really sums up this whole book spoken by one of the mothers:

It occurred to her that there were so many levels of evil in the world.  Small evils like her own malicious words.  Like not inviting a child to a party.  Bigger evils like walking out on your wife and newborn baby or sleeping with your child’s nanny.  And then there was the sort of evil of which Madeline had no experience:  cruelty in hotel rooms and violence in suburban homes and little girls being sold like merchandise, shattering innocent hearts.

Right from the start the reader finds out there is a murder investigation and interspersed throughout the book are snippets of different people telling the detective what happened.  The writing is outstanding and cleverly done with a surprise ending, at least for me.  This is a page turner that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys family drama and a good mystery.  I think this would be a great book for a book club!

If you have read this one, who were your favorite characters?  Gerard liked all the mothers in the book.  I liked Ed most and Celeste second.  I loved how generous she was with her husband’s money!

(Karen's review-10/24/14, 5 stars)

Gerard's review, 5++ stars:
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty is told by three women:  Madeline, Celeste and Jane.  They all have children attending the same grade school.  This is a fantastic read!  I loved all the women and their different story lines along with plenty of action!  This novel builds up to one night when all the story lines finally come together.  I LOVED the ending!  Do not miss this one--it's a must read!  It does not get any better than this.  This is my new book of the month without a doubt!

We both liked The Husband's Secret by this author, but this one is way better than that even!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"The Furies" by Natalie Haynes is a Page Turner

The Furies by Natalie Haynes is about a young lady teacher, Alex.  When her fiance it killed, she gets a job at a school called "The Unit" where kids wind up that have been kicked out of other schools.  She only has five kids which sounds pretty easy.  I loved the interaction between Alex and her class.  This book had me turning pages and I was always glad to get back to it.  It's well worth reading and has a great ending.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Prepared for a Purpose" by Antoinette Tuff with Alex Tresniowski--an Amazing Story!

Prepared for a Purpose by Antoinette Tuff with Alex Tresniowski is an amazing true story about how Antoinette stood up to a gunman who came into her school where she works and her own personal story.  Both are really good because this woman has been through a lot!  I enjoyed reading it and believe it will keep your interest as it did mine.  
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Prepared for a Purpose by Antoinette Tuff with Alex Tresniowskiis mostly about Antoinette's personal life and very little about the gunman at the school who she confronted.  She is definitely a strong woman, coping with many problems while praying for God's help which is mostly what this book is about.  I liked it all right but it didn't really grab me.  I did feel sorry for her though having to deal with so many issues.  It's worth your time.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"The Good Sister" by Wendy Corsi Staub (UPDATED)

The Good Sister by Wendy Corsi Staub certainly kept my interest.  This is a good story about revenge which incorporates the dangers of social media.  The murderer is so clever and so mean!  Although I figured out who it was, the twist at the end was shocking!  Carly is the older sister who tries so hard to do what is right and be nice but finds herself being bullied at her Catholic school.  Her mother is worried about her when Carly’s ex-best friend commits suicide and then another girl from her school also commits suicide.  This is a creepy mystery I won’t soon forget.  I look forward to reading more books by this author!  We highly recommend this one if you like a good murder mystery. 

(Karen's review posted 12/6/13)

Good Sister by Wendy Corsi Staub is about a young girl who goes to a private girls school and is bullied.  She finds a friend on the Internet and that is when this book really takes off.  I liked the plot but you will have to read it all the way to the end to figure out what's what!  I enjoyed it very much--kept me turning pages.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"The Tragedy Paper" by Elizabeth Laban (YA)

Every year at a boarding school, the outgoing seniors leave a "treasure" behind in their rooms for the next senior occupying that room to find. Duncan finds a stack of CDs left for him that he doesn't think much of until he listens to the first one. Then he can't stop until he hears them all! What's on the CDs? You will have to read The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban.

Like the CDs, The Tragedy Paper is hard to put down. I finished it in two days! I got to really care about the characters, the writing is superb and the ending is shocking! Do I have your interest yet? All that being said, I give this book 5++ stars!  Excellent work, Ms. Laban!
(Gerard's review)

The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban is about a teen love triangle and a high school assignment at a prestigious private boarding school steeped in tradition.  It is written in a unique way with two narrators, Tim who lacks self-confidence and Duncan who is pre-occupied with his tragedy paper and has trouble letting go of the past.  The book kept my interest to discover what the tragedy was.  I liked both Tim and Duncan and I also like the English teacher, Mr. Simon.
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Rizzoli & Isles: Last To Die" by Tess Gerritsen

Rizzoli & Isles: LAST TO DIE by Tess Gerritsen is a better than average story. In this thriller, three children are enrolled at Evensong Boarding School, where all the kids have had traumatic events in their young lives. Now they are in a safe haven, or are they not?

This book went along so so but the last 150 pages it really got good! There's a great twist at the end that made it hard to put down until I found out how it all turned out! It's well worth your time!
(Gerard's review, rating 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"One Breath Away" by Heather Gudenkauf

Her Best Yet!

In One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf, a lone gunman takes over a small classroom holding the teacher and pupils hostage.  What made this book so good in my opinion is that it is told by five people as the novel is ongoing.  I got to know their thought and background to understand what led up to this point.  The writing is superb.  If you want riveting, this is it!  I could hardly put it down and kept saying how good it was while reading it.  Oh, and good luck trying to figure out who the gunman is—I was completely surprised!  To sum it up, it doesn’t get any better than this—don’t let this one get past you! 
(Gerard's review, rating 5 stars)

One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf is really, really good!  It is fast-paced and realistic contemporary fiction with characters that are very believable.  It grabbed my attention right from the start and never let me go!  The hostage situation at the small school in a fictional small town in Iowa is described so well, I could feel what the characters were feeling.  It kept me guessing who the gunman was right until he was revealed.  I’m sure because this story is told from five different people, there is at least one that you will identify with.  For me, I identified with the teacher—determined to protect her students from the gunman while thinking about her husband.  The teen girl’s unwavering desire to protect her brother was both touching and heartwarming.  It shows how a crisis can bring families closer.    I highly recommend One Breath Away—it even has a dog in it!
(Karen's review, rating 5 stars)

Other books we've read by this Heather Gudenkauf:
These Things Hidden
Weight of Silence

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Emory's Gift" by W. Bruce Cameron

Emory's Gift by W. Bruce Cameron is a real good story about a young boy named Charlie Hall. His mom died and he lives with his dad. He is also dealing with Junior High, which is not being good to him at all! Then his whole life changes when he befriends a grizzly bear. I enjoyed this book a lot. I identified with Charlie and think you will like it too! (Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

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"Out Of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper

I enjoyed this children's book, Out Of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper about Melody, a girl with Cerebral Palsy. She had a photographic memory but greatly limited physically. She couldn't talk, walk, feed herself or do basic things. Kids thought she was retarded and pretty much ignored her or made fun of her. When she was in 5th grade, she got a medi-talker which enabled her to communicate. When the kids discovered how smart Melody was, they were very surprised.

This was a quick, enjoyable read that has increased my empathy for those who have disabilities.  I recommend this to anyone who knows or has contact with special needs kids.

To see how far we have come as a society though in treating people with Cerebral Palsy, I suggest you read Petey by Ben Mikaelsen which is about the 1920s.  This one is very sad but also interesting.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Check out Bloggin' bout Books review of this for another opinion:  An Important Story For Us All

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.