The Fault in Our Stars--Reviewed by Alexandra Lopez

Author:John Green

Review:Alexandra Lopez

   Hazel Lancaster, dying from cancer, only has three friends (meaning her parents and her favorite author), because she doesn't want to have to hurt any more people than she will, when she dies. However her parents are worried that Hazel is distancing herself from everyone, so they beg her to go to a support group. Hazel finally agrees to it, even though she herself really doesn't want to go.

  Little did she know Hazel will meet someone that will change her life? It must have been love at first sight, but the boy named Augustus Waters has caught her eye. They hit it off; sharing medical stories, their life and even what brought them there. Young teenage romance blossoming, everything is going okay. But is it really? Augustus starts to look worse each day. Hazel worries, but she is reassured by him, everything will be okay. But will it?

  Reading this book was enjoyable. But, there was one thing that was unrealistic to me, but I did enjoy the characters. The great part of this book was that the author made each teenager real. They acted like a real teenager; these were kids literally dying, maybe not now, maybe a few weeks or even days. They don't know, so it makes it a compelling story.  As the reader, you delve in the story more. You cry, laugh and even start to understand what they are going through.

   However I had one major problem with one scene. Both of their parents left them alone for a day. I don't want to spoil it but something happens between the two lovers. But I find this unrealistic; your own children are dying, any minute they could drop dead. Why would you leave them alone? Regardless of this one scene it was a great book to read. Get it while it’s hot, located in your Celtic library.



Between Shades of Gray-- A Review by Sarah Gnefkow

Between Shades of Gray
by Ruta Sepetys

*** Stars

Lina is a sixteen year old who has a normal life just like any Lithuanian girl. She does normal activities, she lives the same way as everyone else, and she even likes boys. All is normal until the Russian Invasion tears apart everything that her and her family has ever known by barging in their home one night. Lina is separated from her father and shoved in a train car with her mother and her brother. The three of them head to the coldest work camp in Northern Siberia. While they are in this work camp they have to dig for beats and fight to stay alive under the horrible conditions they are given to survive. Lina has been drawing to try and communicate with her father who is at a different work camp thousands of miles away. Will her will to survive be enough? Or will the harsh conditions of work camp life defeat her?

Between Shades of Gray was a pretty good book. Sometimes it got way too boring but overall it was pretty interesting. Keeping up with what was going on was sort of a challenge but if you like work camp stories I really do think you will like this. 

Here is a video of the author discussing her novel. (added by Ms C)
http://vimeo.com/12589530

Running for my Life -- a review by Jayla Smith

Running For My Life

By Ann Gonzalez

***** Stars

Running for my Life is the story told by a 14-year-old girl named Andrea McKane who struggles to cope with her mother’s schizophrenia. She has to recognize that her old mom that she uses to know and love may never ever come back. To help with McKane’s coping, her best friend, Margie, settles on joining the school track team. This also helps Margie to keep an eye on senior track stars Matthew and Sean for Andrea.

Andrea’s pass with her mother has a huge effect on her in the future to the point where she starts to have nightmares and mental breakdowns. With her family and friends, like Pedro, her stuff animal, Andrea will try to not live in the pass and with the fear of her mother’s illness. What has her mother done to her that is so dreadful and ghastly? Will her breakthrough this nightmare and overcome the impossible?

I think that Running for my Life shows one of the numerous challenges that most teens have to face today in this society. This book shows the backbreaking experiences that Andrea faces that most teens may face when they are in similar situations. At same time, she has to get through high school which may not be too easy for most people. I personally haven’t been through her situation but I can relate it to when one of my family members became sick as well. If you are interested with the effects of illness, this book is good for you to read. With this is book you look at what illness does to those who were affected by it. Running for my Life is an interesting book and it enjoyed it and I think you will too!