Me Before You-- Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

“I will never, ever regret the things I've done. Because most days, all you have are places in your memory that you can go to.”  

Do you believe in fate? That in one moment everything changes, and that the change is where you were meant to be all along? Well in the case of Lou Clark and Will Traynor, fate definitely plays its part.

Lou knows a lot of things in her life. She knows the amount of steps it takes to get from her home to the bus stop, and she knows that she loves her job at The Butter Bun tea store. Lou also knows that there is a possibility that she may not be in love with her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is that she is going to lose her beloved job, or that what is in store for her is going to be her saving grace.

Will Traynor knows that he has no real desire to live after a motorcycle accident took away the ability to use his legs. He knows that life has become rather dull and joyless, and he knows how he is going to put a stop to it.

What Will does not know, is that Lou is about to enter his dull world and give it a little color. And neither of them know that these changes are going to alter their lives for all time.

I adored this book!! I loved everything about this story. I enjoyed how Lou was not a perfect woman, but rather an out of control and not overly beautiful one. She wasn't perfect and that is what I found so enjoyable. I also loved the comedic moments through out the book, they made me fall in love with this story over and over again. I also enjoyed the romance of this story, it wasn't perfect and it didn't happen immediately. This was a rather beautiful book. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Red Queen--reviewed by: Sarah Roberts

"In school, we learned about the world before us, about the angels and gods that lived in the sky, ruling the earth with kind and loving hands. Some say those are just stories, but I don't believe that. The gods rule us still. They have come down from the stars. And they are no longer kind."

Picture high school. It's ruled by two kinds of groups. There's the popular, almighty people, and then you have the unpopular, lowly people. Well that is the type of society that Mare Barrow lives in.

There are two kinds of people in Mare Barrow's society, except the thing that defines your place is the color of your blood. First you have the Silvers,which are the elite people "whose supernatural abilities make them gods". Then you have the Reds, which are the lowly servants of the Silvers.

Mare Barrow is a Red, who just so happens to be the best pit-pocketer in all the village. Mare lives with her mother, her war-disabled father, and her sister Gisa. Mare also has brothers but they are in the military, which Mare will soon join them...or so she thought. One encounter with a stranger leads Mare landing a job in the royal palace, filled with people she loathes the most. Mare works through rooms filled with Silvers, just simply serving and refilling drinks. Girls appear trying to win the affection of the two young princes, but only one of them is familiar. It's the stranger who got Mare the job.

As the night goes on Mare does her serving duties, and can't wait for the night to end. Suddenly, she is attacked by a girl in the pageant and thrown of the balcony landing on this lightening force field. The only problem is, Mare does burn but controls the lightening. This sets off a chain of events that will change everything.

I loved this book! It really made my imagination come to life. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family. Not only does this book have suspense, it also has betrayal and a hint of love. I love Mare's independent spirit, but also how loyal she is to her friends and loved ones. The storyline is absolutely spectacular! It will give you goose bumps. You feel everything the characters feel, and even feel afraid for some of them at one point. Join Mare in this fantastic tale, and "rise red as the dawn."

These Broken Stars--Reviewed by: Sarah Roberts

“For a moment the image before us is frozen: our world, our lives, reduced to a handful broken stars half lost in uncharted space. Then it's gone, the view swallowed by the hyperspace winds streaming past, blue-green auroras wiping the after-images away.

Until all that's left is us” 

In the blink of an eye life can change. You can go from being surrounded by your comfortable, bright life style to being in a place that's new, uncertain. Well that's exactly what happened to Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen.

Lilac LaRoux is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Carver comes from nothing, but is a young war hero who knows that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they are worth. So what happens when the two are thrown together after their beloved spaceship, the Icarus, crashes on to an unknown planet? Well, they are forced to work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Along the way there will be arguments, sarcastic comedy, heart melting moments, and even love.

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down for more than a second before I had to pick it up again. That is why I gave this book a 5 star rating. I enjoyed the suspense, sic-fi setting, and romance!. The sarcastic comments from Tarver made this story more comical, which I adored. The growing relationship between Lilac and Tarver will truly make you melt. I thought that these two characters truly complemented each other, and made this book worth reading. Some scenes in this book will leave you breathless! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and will definitely recommend this to my friends and family.

Perks of Being a Wallflower-- Reviewed by Desarae Coffey

                                                   

Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

This book is about a fifteen-year-old boy named Charlie. Charlie has suffered a great tragedy of losing his best friend, Michel to suicide. Charlie is scared of starting high school alone which increases his anxiety levels. So Charlie starts writing to a stranger whose he never met in person but have told was nice and a great listener.

As Charlie begins high school his anxiety level increases but calms down a bit when he meets his English teacher who becomes his friend and even more so his mentor. As the days goes on he learns to overcome some of his shyness and meets Patrick. Patrick later becomes his best friend along with his step sister, Sam.

Sam and Patrick becomes Charlie’s life coaches in high school showing him the ropes, they force him to come out his shell. They help him become more social while letting him find himself. Charlie goes through his high school writing his own fate. Going on his first date, having his first kiss, and even getting into drugs. The drugs cause him to lose his best friends, but Charlie then gains them back for standing up for Patrick when he gets beat up showing his true side. At his first year comes to an end, and it gets closer to Sam and Patrick graduating Charlie finds himself.

We all go through this just in different ways but still having that one thing, finding ourselves in high school. I strongly, recommend this for any teenage struggling to find themselves. I personally can relate to this story. this year I was a transfer, coming in from St. Mary's High school. I was beginning my sophomore year at O'Hara. I started out very shy and didn't talk much to people, but lucky I had my best friend, Leah Eckart. She was my Sam and Patrick. She pushed me to join clubs and sports to become more social. I join book club and cross-country. Thanks to her, I am loving my sophomore year more and more every week. 

Suck-It Up-- Reviewed by Alexandra Lopez

Author: Brian Meehl
Reviewer: Alexandra Lopez

After graduating from the International Vampire League, a scrawny teenage vampire named Morning McCobb is given the chance to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a superhero when he embarks on a mission to become the first vampire to reveal his identity to humans and to demonstrate how peacefully-evolved, blood-substitute-drinking vampires can use their powers to help humanity. He ends up falling for Portia Dredful, a beautiful, strong willed girl. Things get harder, however, as he has to resist the temptation of sucking Portia's blood. Will McCob be able to resit?

I really did enjoy this book. The most that I've enjoyed from this was the explanation given to why they don’t burn. I like mythical creatures, just as much as the next guy. However it bothers me when vampires can withstand the sun. It’s basic knowledge that vampires burn in the sun. But in Suck-It Up it gives a reasonable reason why they don’t burn, which I was pleased with. Of course the book overall was good, but there could have sped up some parts. If you enjoy vampires then you should read it. I recommended to those that enjoy sparkly vampires that this isn’t your book.

Dairy Queen reviewed by Kaitlin Kimbrell

DAIRY QUEEN

By: Catherine Gilbert Murdock



For D.J. life is quiet and simple. Get up and work on the farm, do what her father says, go to school, and nothing much else. While this was all until Brian Nelson got into trouble and had to come help on the farm or get kicked off the football team and D.J. decided she wanted to play football like her brothers did. She figured why not, she was just as strong and fast (if not stronger and faster) then most of the guys on the team. D.J. believed that she could do it and lead the team all the way and maybe fall in love along the way. First though, she is going to have to break out of her shell, start talking about what is wrong, and get advice she doesn't want from people she doesn't really like. Will doing just that ruin any chances of her  getting on the team and living her dream? Read and find out!

I really enjoyed this book because it was inspirational and actually taught me a lot about the person I can be. The fact that D.J. was able to achieve all she wanted and even get more then she bargained for lifted my spirits and made me want to try just as hard as she did for what I want. I think that reading this book might inspire you to do something that you never thought you would be able to. Maybe, just maybe you will find your voice just where you have been needing to use it.

Going Bovine- Review written by Aspen Gates

Going Bovine

By Libba Bray

***** stars

Going Bovine is about a 16 year old boy named Cameron whose life pretty much can't get any worse. He's got bad grades, he's lazy, smokes weed, and to top it all off his twin sister is dating the most popular guy in school. Remember how I said Cameron's life couldn't get much worse? Well it does. After having a complete freak out over the toaster catching on fire, Cameron is sent to the doctor for tests and learns that he has Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease better known as mad cow disease, and to top it all off there is no cure. So while the disease is slowly taking over Cameron's body, destroying his lungs, and feeling pain all over, he meets Darcie. A beautiful angel who tells him that if he finds Dr. X he can be cured, but he only has a certain amount of time before he succumbs to the disease. So without delay Cameron sets off to find Dr. X, but also with the help of Gonzo, a roommate of his in the hospital, and Baldor a talking yard gnome. So, will Cameron succeed in his quest to find Dr. X and if he does will it be what he really expects it to be? Guess you will just have to read this gripping story to find out.

Going Bovine was without a doubt the most hilarious and extraordinary book I have ever read. Don't get me wrong there were some sad times in the book, but a majority of the book was just a big laugh. I gave this book five stars because it was different and it kept my attention the whole entire time Iwas reading it. Libba Bray has really outdone herself on this amazing story, and I advise you all to check it out in the O'Hara Library pronto.