Poems and Poets

Publication Date: August 15th, 2017 Genre: Young-Adult Contemporary My Goodreads Rating: 3/5 Source: Own Copy Emma's life had forever revolved around the actions of her elder sister, Henri. This wasn't some sort of eternal punishment or trap she couldn't escape- Emma simply adored Henri to the extent that she worshiped her every step and molded her life to fit Henri's. While this may seem like an unhealthy relationship to some, Emma and Henri had perfected their routine- sharing a seamless experience together for all their teen years. Suddenly, after a devastating fight (left a mystery to the audience), the siblings find themselves awash on an island after a boating trip gone wrong, with only a fellow teen to guide them. They must find their way back to each other to find their way home- but with their shattered past, can the sisters shape a new future?

Publication Date: October 3rd, 2017 Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary My Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Source: Publisher (Through Edelweiss) This is the story of three siblings who didn't know they could rely on each other. Joaquin has been in the foster system for 17 years. He's lived the hard life, trying to rid himself of emotions. Finding out that he's an older brother is not what he needs, specially not when his younger sisters want to bond over their biological mother. Grace is an only child, adopted at birth- or so she thought. Now she finds out that she's a middle child, in a family that doesn't want to get closer to one another. Maya is the sarcastic younger sibling, who always thought she was the older child. Adopted at birth by a well-to-do family of red-heads, her younger sister was the miracle birth that came after her adoption. The siblings struggle to form memorable connections, share secrets with each other, or even communicate like regular si...

I'm back with a Top Ten Tuesday Post-after a really long time! My list this week is "Top Ten Books that feature characters that are LGBTQ". I'm linking up with The Broke and the Bookish for this post. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz  I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson  Nowhere Near You by Leah Thomas  This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills  The Gallery of Unfinished Girls by Lauren Karcz  You're Welcome Universe by Whitney Gardner  The Loose Ends List by Carrie Firestone  This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp  Unbecoming by Jenny Downham  Any other titles you think should be on this list? Let me know in the comments below!

Publication Date: September 19th 2017 Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction My Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Source: Publisher (Through Edelweiss) Kadi is a young girl in modern-day Timbuktu. Daughter of a scripture librarian. A fan of literature, music and art, she hopes one day to become the esteemed guardian of the scriptures her father currently looks after. Ali is a small-town boy from the villages of Mali. He's joined the Defenders of Faith, a branch of Al Qaeda and is an important player in the take of Timbuktu. As life changes drastically in Timbuktu, Ali and Kadi meet. They hate each other instantly- but something about their natures encourages them to interact with one another. Opening up to each other was a huge mistake- or was it?

 Publication Date: September 5th 2017 Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Source: Publisher (Through Edelweiss) Leo and Caleb aren't best friends. Then again, most siblings have complex relationships. When Caleb's angry though, his outbursts literally send Leo running. This violent behavior forces the family to relocate, to a new setting where Leo and Caleb both hope to prosper. Over time, Leo develops the ability to run fast and think ahead. He joins the cross-country and track teams at his new school, and even befriends a state champion. Learning from the best runner his age, Leo improves his skills and even meets a girl he has a crush on. Yet Caleb still hasn't managed to settle down in his new life. Leo's newfound peace won't last long, because Caleb's jealousy will soon start to show in violent beatings and scary behavior.

Publication Date: September 5th 2017 Genre: Young Adult Contemporary My Goodreads Rating: 2/5 Source: Publisher (Through Edelweiss) Charlotte and Frankie are ordinary, boring high schoolers who live with their almost-normal parents. They don't have a perfect body, or a soulmate (except maybe each other). They haven't had the perfect romance, the best adventure or the wildest party. They are just teenagers. Until Charlotte decides to document their lives in a book to prove how boring they are. Sophomore year is just the same as freshman year, her friends are still the same and she's the kid she always was. Or is she?

Publication Date: January 5th 2016 Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Source: Own Copy I know that this is normally where I have a summary of the book- but this book is just so hard to describe without ruining the story. I'm going to say this- the story is about a school shooting. The Opportunity High School students find themselves locked in the auditorium after the principal's speech. A few minutes later someone starts shooting. "Everyone has a reason to fear the boy with the gun". This book has been quite a controversial one. I've been through so many reviews and ratings and what I've understood is that people either hate it or love it. I absolutely loved it!

Publication Date: 21st February, 2012 Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Source: Borrowed' Aristotle is a confused teen with an elder brother in prison- who no one ever mentions. He barely has a relationship with his ex-veteran father and prefers to be alone all the time. Dante is a smart teen with a unique perspective on life. He gets along great with his parents and adds his own flair to everything. He's artistic and science-oriented at the same time When both immigrant teens meet one summer day, they begin hanging out unsure of where their friendship will go. What they discover is a relationship that lasts a lifetime and the opportunity to make a difference in each other's lives.

Publication Date: 25th July 2017 Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary My Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Source: Publisher (Through Edelweiss) Mercedes Moreno is an award-winning artist- who hasn't been able to paint anything decent for over a year. Her painting Food Poisoning #1 won her first place at the County Art Festival, but since then she's had a lack of inspiration. This could be because her Puerto Rican grandmother is comatose after suffering a stroke. It could also be because she is in love with her best friend Victoria, but is too afraid to tell her. Regardless of her struggles, art worms its way into Mercedes' life. A piano shows up on her doorstep one day, and a mysterious artist moves in next door. She gets invited to the Red Mangrove Estate. At the Estate, Mercedes paints and creates like never before. The only problem is that she can't take her work, emotions or "newfound clarity" outside the Estate. As she struggles to deal with her life, Merce...

Publication Date: September 3rd 2015 Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary My Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Source: Own copy Three women and three secrets create one compelling story in Jenny Downham's Unbecoming . 17-year old Katie falls in love with the wrong person- or so she thinks. She keeps up her secret tryst without revealing the identity of the one her heart yearns. Caroline, Katie's mother, is rigid and strict and afraid of her past becoming her present. Her confusing childhood has taught her to constantly protect her children. Mary, Caroline's mother, makes a startling  reappearance in her daughter's life after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's following the death of her husband. Still capable of breaking all the rules, Mary is not your usual grandmother. Katie spends her summer caring for Mary, attempting to learn about her mother's disgruntled attitude towards her. As Mary struggles to grasp her memories she reveals her family's secrets to Kati...

Publication Date: January 1st 2015 Genre: Young-Adult and Middle-Grade My Goodreads Rating: 3/5 Source:  Own Copy Stewart is the gifted and talented. He's also geeky and socially awkward. His mom passed away last year and he finds himself missing her quite often. Ashley is gifted and talented. She's popular and stylish. She's also failing 9th grade. Her dad has just come out and divorced her mother.It's a year later, and both her parents have now found themselves boyfriends. Enter the parents- Ashley's mom asks Stewart's dad to move in with them, creating the most awkward living situation for both Ashley and Stewart. Stewart's excited about this new adventure in his life. Ashley... not so much. Stewart doesn't fit in at school and Ashley struggles at home. When both of them attract the attention of Jared, a popular boy at school, things start to go terribly wrong. Do they have a strong enough relationship to confront the problems together? ...

Publication Date: February 17th 2016 Genre: Young-Adult (Contemporary) My Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Source:  Own Copy Maddie has just graduated from high school and she plans on spending the summer before college ticking items off her bucket list- or her "loose ends" list, as she likes to call it- with her best friends. Her socialite grandmother, who's young-at-heart and fiercely passionate- calls a suspicious family gathering at her town house one day which changes the way Maddie looks at life forever. Her amazing grandmother has been diagnosed with cancer- and she doesn't want to be treated for it! To spend as much time with her family as she can, the O'Niell Matriarch books an international family cruise. The up-side? Great food, interesting people, amazing destinations. The down side? Grandma O'Niell may not come home at the end of the trip.

Publication Date: March 7th 2017 Genre: Young Adult (Contemporary) My Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Source:  Own Copy Julia finds something nasty written about her best friend on a wall at the Kingston School for the Deaf. As a true best friend, she covers it up with a beautiful graffiti mural. This so-called best friend snitches, and gets her expelled from her school. Julia's two mothers send her to a "mainstream" school in the suburbs, where she's treated like an alien for being the only deaf student. The only thing she has left is her art- and although she promised her mothers she would give up graffiti, Julia finds herself being more and more dependent on her art. Eager to let the world know that she's willing to declare art turf even in the suburbs, Julia paints everywhere. Soon, she realizes that someone is improving her tags, adding their own style to them. Julia has been dragged into a "full-blown graffiti war".

Publication Date: August 8th 2011 Genre: Middle-Grade, Science Fiction My Goodreads Rating: 3/5 Source:  Own Copy Miranda is a pre-teen living in New York City with her eccentric mum. Her best friend lives only a few apartments away from her, and her mom is auditioning for a reality TV show. Her life begins to unravel, when Sal (her best friend) gets hit by a street-side bully for no reason. Then her mom's spare key is stolen, and a rather mysterious note arrives. The note claims that the writer is coming to save the life of one of Miranda's friends. It asks Miranda to write a letter to the anonymous sender of the notes. The notes keep coming, and Miranda realises that the writer seems to be able to predict-accurately predict-the future. Each message leads her to believe that she can prevent a disaster. The last note however, makes her think she's too late to avert a tragic death.

Publication Date: February 26th 2013 Genre: Romance, Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Source: Own Copy Eleanor is a social misfit. Her bright red hair stands out, she uses the wrong language, wears different clothes and she generally doesn't fit. She meets Park on the bus. Park is a social misfit. He sits alone, always listens to music and just seems different. Together they are the perfect pair. They laugh before they finish their jokes, talk about the same things, worry about the same issues, and confide in one another. I think this could possibly be one of Rowell's best books. It won the Goodreads Choice Award for 2013 (the year it was released) and warmed the hearts of many fellow readers.

Genre: Middle-Grade Publication Date: Aug 18th 2015 My Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Source: Library Copy Suzy is convinced that her best friend, the incredible swimmer, couldn't have drowned to death. She does some research and realizes that Suzy might have been stung by a rare jellyfish. She stops talking, communicating only with herself and her research, and goes through her first year in middle school as a child determined to prove the police wrong. Her shock and grief resonate with the reader through every page, her sheer determination sets her apart from all other grieving characters and her belief in her friend's abilities strikes the audience. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome on page, Suzy Swanson!

Publication Date: June 8th 2013 Genre: Young Adult & Mythological/Fantasy My Goodreads Rating: 3/5 Source : Own Copy Katie Greene has just lost her parents, but to make the situation even worse she's being sent across the world to live with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan. Katie feels lost in a new culture, struggling to learn Japanese and Asian cultures as she tries to fit in at her new Japanese school. Then she meets Tomohiro, the star of the school's Kendo team. His mysterious scar draws Katie in, but when she sees his drawings moving, she understands that she may not be prepared to understand how he really got hurt. Katie and Tomohiro make a dangerous team. A team dangerous enough to put a target on their backs.

Publication Date: January 1st 2014 Genre: Memoir (both middle-grade and YA) My Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Source:  Own Copy Maya Van Wagenen used to be a shy, antisocial, awkward girl who attended a public school at Brownsville, Texas ( shares a border with Mexico). That all changed, however, when Maya found an old '50s book teaching girls how to be more popular. Maya signed herself up for a social experiment, following contemporary teen model Betty Cornel's advice for the entire school year, and documenting it as a memoir. This true story brought my attention to the entire genre of memoirs and opened my eyes to the world of young-adult non-fiction.

Publication Date: 4th October 2016 Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Source:  Own Copy This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills is the tale of a young girl from New York (Sloane) who moves to Florida and finds herself in a great friendship with twins; Vera is a social-media star with an incredibly bright personality and Gabe a serious and profound boy.  Vera and Gabe's father has recently remarried, and the twins are struggling to accept the loss of their mother. When one of her beloved paintings goes missing, the twins are absolutely crushed. Feeling a fierce sense of protectiveness for her friends, Sloane takes it upon herself to track down the missing painting and secure her friendship with Vera and Gabe.

Publication Date: 3rd March 2015 Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Source: Borrowed Hey guys- I'm back with another review of an amazing book! I read "Mosquitoland" by David Arnold early last year, and found out that I never shared it with you guys! I rated this book five stars on Goodreads- and would have given it ten if I could.  Mim Malone, who has been residing with her mother in Northern Ohio since the whirlwind of her parents' divorce, is suddenly sent to the "wastelands" of Mississippi to live with her father and step-mother. Before she has time to process what happened, she learns that her mother is sick back in Cleveland, so she packs her bag and boards a bus to travel back home.   She meets various interesting characters along the way, who become as much a part of her story as the final journey of meeting her mother one last time. Among these characters is young Walt, a homeless teenager suffering from Down's Syndrome, who...