"The Fixer" by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a YA contemporary fiction mystery about Tess Kendrick, a 16-yr-old who is taken by her older sister, Ivy, the "fixer."  Ivy left the ranch years before and works closely with the President of the United States in D.C. to fix problems.  Tess resents Ivy for not taking her along when their parents died so lives with her grandfather whose Alzheimer's gets worse,  When Ivy visits, she moves the grandfather to a care facility in Boston and has Tess live with her.  Ivy tries to protect Tess from getting involved in her job but Tess becomes involved in spite of Ivy's efforts.  Tess is shocked as secrets come to light and bravely seeks the truth.

This was very good with a combination of politics, murder and family relationships.  I enjoyed the plot and the characters and especially the surprise twist near the end.  I finished this in two days and looked forward to getting back to it.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner is told by three teens starting their senior year in high school in a small town.  Dill, Lydia and Travis take turns telling the way this book goes.  They all have different family relationships.  What they do have in common is a strong bond of friendship.

I enjoyed all the three teens very much.  This book kept me interested throughout and has a very good ending.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Holding Up the Universe" by Jennifer Niven

Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven is told by Libby Strout and Jack Masselin.  They both go to the same high school, but they are very different on the status scale.  The one thing they do have in common is that they each have a health problem to deal with.

This book is much better than I expected it would be.  I really rooted for Libby and Jack.  The story flowed along well and I was always anxious to get back into it!  The ending was perfect!  If you want a feel good story, this is it!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen read this one too--here's her review:
Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Nivan is a teen romance novel. Libby, an overweight girl with panic attacks, gets bullied but stands up for herself and has a big heart. Jack has Prosopagnosia, a condition that keeps him from being able to recognize faces. Libby loves to dance and Jack likes building things. Jack keeps his disability a secret and copes the best he can until one day he confides in Libby. Libby and Jack start off on rocky ground but as they get to know each other, their relationship changes.

Although this book is very predictable, it is a good story that has a good message for teens and clearly shows how bullied people feel. I never heard of “face-blindness” before reading this so it was interesting to learn about it through Jack’s experiences. Lilly was an interesting character too with the ability to forgive. The story was told by both Lilly and Jack in alternating chapters. (4 stars)


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"Our Chemical Hearts" by Krystal Sutherland, A Good Debut Novel

In Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland, Henry Page is sitting in class one day when a new girl enters dressed in boys clothes, her hair undone, and walks with a cane.  Henry needs a female relationship in his life, is Grace Town the girl for him?   I thought this book was really good.  I enjoyed both Henry and Grace as they got to know each other.  The last part of the book is very good!  For a first book by the author, she set a high bar for herself.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Lasting Impact" by Kostya Kennedy

Lasting Impact: One Team, One Season, What Happens When Our Sons Play Football by Kostya Kennedy covers the 2014 football season of New Rochelle High School in New York.  This book takes on more subjects than just the football team.  Some I liked, some not so much.  The best parts of this book for me was that I got to know the players and the parts that told about their coach, Lou Dirienzo.  I enjoyed this and if you like High School football, you will too!
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)

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"Watching Edie" by Camilla Way is a Good One!

In Watching Edie by Camilla Way, Edie was a little bit of a crazy girl in high school.  But she befriends Heather, a girl who has trouble of her own and no real friends.  However, when a boy named Conner comes along, Edie has time for him and him alone!!  Years later, Edie is at the lowest point in her life, alone and desperate when Heather shows up!  That's a good thing, right?

I thought this book was very good.  I went through a love/hate relationship with both Heather and Edie.  The writing was good too and it moved along at a good pace.  I recommend it!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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Both of Us Liked "Red Zone Rivals" by Eric Howling

In Red Zone Rivals by Eric Howling, Quinn Brown is a quarterback on his high school football team.  He knows what to do on the field, but he has to learn some life lessons too.  This is a very short book, just over 100 pages but still packs a wallop.  I enjoyed seeing Quinn grow as a man off the field and I am glad the author did not go to a predictable outcome.  This is a good read for sure!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars) 

(Karen's review 8-31-16, 5 stars):
Red Zone Rivals by Eric Howling is a quick inspirational teen read about Quinn Brown, a high school quarterback who discovers the new “nerd” in the school isn’t so nerdy after all and learns to think of others. Quinn’s new friend, Walker, shocks everyone when he makes the football team even though he can barely walk! Walker shows Quinn how to focus, tutors him in math, and helps him appreciate his dad. Quinn sticks up for Walker and gets the team to accept him. There is a lot of actual football too which is a plus!

I really enjoyed this book because Quinn improves as a player and as a human being. Walker is amazing and a very inspirational character. I really liked the coaching, football games and the good ending. The book moved along quickly and was interesting if you like football. I can’t think of anything I didn’t like about it.


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"Under the Lights" by Abbi Glines

In Under the Lights by Abbi Glines, Willa, Gunner and Brady were childhood friends but now are all playing with problems in the same high school.  Can the bond they made as kids hold up?  The three main characters take turns telling the story.  I liked them all, but enjoyed Gunner the best.

This book was a bit slow at first (causing my wife to give up on it and move on to something else), but around mid-point, it really picked up.  I enjoyed the first book in this series better, but this one was also enjoyable for me.
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)

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"Until Friday Night" by Abbi Glines--Two Differing Views About This One

Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines is told by West Ashby, a very popular guy and Maggie Carlton who has a lot going for her.  West is well-liked and a key player on the high school football team.  He is also hurting inside and is keeping it all bottled up.  Maggie is very pretty, smart and popular as well, but is traumatized by a family tragedy and refuses to talk to anybody.  She is also starting in a new school.

I enjoyed this book very much.  to me it went fast and I always looked forward to picking it up again.  West and Maggie were both great and I enjoyed the ending too!
(Gerard's review 7/24/16, 5++ stars)

Karen's review (2 stars) 8/2/16:
Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines is about two older teens who start out as friends because they understand each other’s pain caused by the death of a parent, but fall in love during the process of comforting each other. Maggie had a tragedy so awful that she refuses to talk until she sees West hurting and wants to help him. Maggie moves in with her aunt and uncle who have a son, Brady who attends her school and is on the football team with West.

This novel is about teen relationships, friendship, grief and high school drama. I was disappointed there wasn’t more about football based on the book cover. Furthermore, the swearing and premarital sex scenes in this book were big turn offs for me. I never really liked West much, and thought Maggie would have been better off keeping him as only a friend. The fact that Maggie let West kiss her the first time they met and that she let him stay overnight in her room did not make me think very highly of her either. I would have preferred her and Nash winding up together instead.

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"The Memory Book" by Lara Avery is Heartbreaking

In The Memory Book by Lara Avery, you meet Sammie McCoy.  She is a young girl with big plans and has worked really hard to graduate at the top of her class.  Now she wants to go to college in New York and make something of her life.  Unfortunately, she has a health problem involving her brain.  She writes everything down because soon she won't remember things and doesn't want to forget.

WOW!  What a fantastic book!  I really enjoyed Sammie right from page 1!  She is far from perfect, but then, none of us are.  With great writing, this is the kind of book you will long remember. 
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Asylum" by Madeleine Roux

In Asylum by Madeleine Roux, Dan Crawford is given a chance of a lifetime.  A summer program for gifted students is how he is going to spend his summer.  But when he gets to the school, he finds that the dorm he has to stay at was an old psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane.  While exploring, he discovers some secrets that link him and his friends to the Asylum's dark past.

This book kept my interest throughout.  The story moved along well and while not action-packed, was good enough. 
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Problem With Forever" by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Problem With Forever by Jennifer Armentrout is a beautiful, inspirational story about Mallory a/k/a "Mouse" and Rider, two kids who were in an abusive foster home together accepting their past but looking to the future.  After being split up for four years, Mallory getting adopted while Rider was in a group home and foster home, they wind up in the same high school for senior year and reconnect.

I liked both the main characters who were well developed and grew throughout the book.  There are many references to The Velveteen Rabbit book that is closely related to the main theme of this book so I would recommend reading that as well.  It is the book Rider used to read to Mallory when they were kids and that was her favorite.  There is a lot of relationships that make this a very realistic, contemporary fiction novel.  I really liked Carl and Rosa too, doctors who adopted Mallory.  I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it, especially to teens.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

In The Problem With Forever by Jennifer Armentrout, Mallory is a young teen girl who spent time in a foster home that was not a good situation, but could always count on a young boy named Rider.  After years of being home schooled when she was taken in by a nice couple, she is ready to go to a regular high school for her senior year.  She thinks she can do this.  On the first day of school, she sees someone she recognizes--Rider!

I really enjoyed this book a lot!  Mallory was a fantastic character as was Rider.  The writing was very good too.  It had me from page 1.  I think you should read this one.  I can't imagine anyone not liking this!
(Gerard's review 6-1-16, 5++ stars)

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"The Silence of Six" by E. C. Myers

In The Silence of Six by E. C. Myers, you will meet Max, a young teen boy who knows how to hack into computers, phones and anything else.  He is very good at it!  When a close friend of his contacts him and then kills himself during a Presidential debate, Max wants to get to the bottom of it.

I enjoyed this book because there is lots of action and Max is a great character.  The ending was really good too!  If you liked Ready Player One, you will most likely enjoy this book too!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"HOPE--a School, a Team, a Dream" by Bill Reynolds

HOPE--A School, a Team, a Dream by Bill Reynolds tells the true story of Hope, a high school in Providence, Rhode Island, and one season of basketball. The coach of the team is Dave Nyblom. What I enjoyed in this book was the interaction between the coach and the players. That was the main focus of the story. The part that dealt with the actual games was okay too. With March Madness set to begin in a few weeks, this book is perfect to get you in the mood for it!
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)

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"This is Where it Ends" by Marieke Nijkamp

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp kept my attention throughout with the suspense and various points of view explaining what was happening during a school shooting in a little town.  It focused on a few best friends and some brothers and sisters.  Practically the entire book covers one hour, the time in which the whole school is in the auditorium at the beginning of the semester with the shooter who has locked them in.  Only a few kids were not in the assembly.  

I had no sympathy whatsoever for the shooter in this story.  I lot of people got shot which was sad; however, since I didn't feel any strong connection to the characters, I didn't shed any tears.  This was good, but I liked Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult and Columbine by Dave Cullen better which are also about school shootings.
(Karen's review, 1/25/16, 3 stars)

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp is about a shooting at a high school. It is told by four teens who go to that school. I thought this book was really, really good! I felt like I was in the school when the shooting started. The emotions of the four teens seem very real. Once you start reading this book, it is almost impossible to put down. With all the shootings going on, this could be right out of the real news.  This is the best book I've read so far this month!
(Gerard’s review 1/22/16, 5++ stars) 

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"Calvin" by Martine Leavitt

If you read and enjoyed the comic strip, "Calvin and Hobbs," you will enjoy Calvin by Martine Leavitt.  Calvin, a 17-yr.-old boy born on the day the last strip was published, has schizophrenia.  He was a fan of Hobbs.  If he could just have Bill Watterson, the writer of "Calvin and Hobbs," make one more comic strip without Hobbs, he will be okay.  I enjoyed this book.  It was like reading a bunch of comic strips.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix" by J. K. Rowling

As this series continues on with book 5, The Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling contains lots of action and adventure with the Ministry of Magic rejecting Harry's and Dumbledore's claims that you-know-who has returned, making them out to be "nutters" or liars.  The Order of the Phoenix is a group of wizards and witches who believe Dumbledore and Harry against the Ministry of Magic which begins fighting against them by replacing Dumbledore as headmaster of Hogwarts with Umbridge, a mean-hearted, witch that really has it in for Harry.  Luna Lovegood, Cho, Ginny Weasley and Neville all get more time in this book which added more interest as we get to know them better. 

The Weasley family plays a big part in this book and I love how Dumbledore comes to Harry's defense and is so good at knowing the rules of the Ministry of Magic that he gets Harry out of trouble several times.  I enjoyed how George and Fred both entertain everyone with their pranks and practical jokes.  Harry's Godfather, Sirius Black, also is a main character in this book.  Hermione provides sound advice and is obsessed with setting house elves free and improving their lives.  Another big part of this book that I liked very much was when Harry decided to share his knowledge of defense against the dark arts with other students when Hermione asked him to teach her and Ron when Umbridge took over as the Professor of the Defense against the Dark Arts.  All she did was tell them to read the text book and gave no time at all to practice of any kind.

Harry's best friend, Ron, gets to be a prefect which helps his self-esteem and he finds himself as the new keeper on the Gryffindor Quiditch team.  I felt bad that Hermione missed the one good game he had while going to meet Hagrid's brother in the forbidden forest.  The climax to this book was the big fight inside the Ministry of Magic which was awesome and the big secret revealed to Harry as to why you-know-who wants to kill him!

This book is full of action, adventure, revenge, mystery, fun and humor.  As with the others, I enjoyed this one too.  Hermione and Ron both have big parts in this and I really like Hermione so I was glad she had such a huge part.  I really liked how all the professors had lots of interaction with each other, Umbridge and the students in this book too.  I felt very sad for poor Harry when Umbridge was making his life miserable and preventing him from contacting Sirius and of course, the ending.  I didn't like that this book was SO big, over 800 pages because it was HEAVY!  I have to give this one 5 stars too because I was always eager to get back to it, I got so engrossed in it that the bus driver had to tell me we were at my stop, and I kept thinking about it even after it was over.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)      

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"Faceless" by Alyssa Sheinmel

Faceless by Alyssa Sheinmel is about Maisie, a junior in high school. She runs track and is so good her coach told her she could get a scholarship. While running one morning, she has a terrible accident. When she wakes up, she learns that she has been in the hospital for a very long time and has lost part of her face! She is able to get a face transplant but now when she wakes up, she sees a stranger in the mirror. How she handles that, her family, school and her friends makes up this book. I liked this book much more than I thought I would. Maisie was a very good character. I thought the story line moved well and I loved the ending! The other people in this book were well developed too. (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Striking Gridiron" by Greg Nichols is Really Good!

Striking Gridiron is a true story that takes place in 1959 in Braddock, Pennsylvania.  Half a million steelworkers are on strike in this steel town, but this town rallies around its high school football team.  This team has a chance to do something really special in 1959.

This book is really good!  I love how the author gave background on the coach, players and the people of the town.  It has great descriptions of the games too.  I was into it from the first page!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"On the Loose--A Katie Parker Production" by Jenny B. Jones is Heartwarming, Funny

On the Loose by Jenny B. Jones is the second book in the Katie Parker Production series that is as good as the first, In Between. Katie, a foster teen, continues to experience teen drama, lives through a tornado, forms more friendships and deepens her relationship with her hilarious foster grandmother. When her foster mom, Millie, is diagnosed with Cancer, Katie worries about what will happen to her. As Katie continues attending church with the Scotts and getting more involved with the youth group, she continues to struggle with her own faith.

I am enjoying this YA inspirational Christian fiction series very much and look forward to reading the final book in this series, The Big Picture. The author is a high school teacher who spends a lot of time with teens and her writing certainly reflects that. This is a fun read as well as a touching one and I love her writing style! I highly recommend this light, fun read to anyone who enjoys books about teens and family.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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