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.

This Is Where the World Ends-- Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

“We knew each other to our fingertips. No, that's not right. We only knew each other in our fingertips, and that was nothing at all, and for a while that was okay. We could have been a love story, a fairy tale, an indie film about high school and selective insanity featuring a boy of angel parts and a girl made of dreaming. We could have been all the best things: bracelets sliding down arms while shots slid down throats, laughter and crashing music in dark and flashing rooms, kisses that started hesitant but didn't stay that way.”  

Do you have a person in your life that you could never separated from? If they disappeared you would go completely insane? That's Janie and Micah.

Janie and Micah are always together. That's the way it's always been since elementary school, when Janie moved next door.  Janie and Micah are total opposites. Where Janie is outgoing, Micah is shy. Micah loves music, and Janie is more into art.

It's a perfect friendship- as long as it's kept a secret.

Everything is perfect. That is until Janie goes missing. Now, as Micah looks for his beloved best friend, things begin to get colored with doubt.

What was once so clear to Micah, now becomes a little blurry. The friendship that was once the realest thing in his life, becomes something to doubt.

I thought this book was wonderful! The characters were amazing. I enjoyed the mystery this book had to offer, and had my attention grabbed in many scenes throughout this book. Although, a little slow in points during the story, I still thought it was a great read. The mystery behind Jill's disappearance I found quite interesting. All in all this was a great book that I would recommend to my friends and family.

Wink Poppy Midnight--Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

 

 

“When you look into the darkness, the darkness looks into you."

We all fall in love with someone at some point in our lives. We obsess over that one person, even if they treat us like we are nothing. That's exactly the case for Midnight.

 Midnight has been in love with Poppy since the first night she climbed through his window. Her jasmine scent filling his mind, capturing his very heart. The thing is, Poppy only uses Midnight for a good time and then she goes back to treating him like dirt.

So when Midnight moves next to Wink, things begin to change. Midnight begins to think less of the girl with perfect hair, and more of the girl with wild curly orange hair. He feels at peace around the girl stuck in the stories of magic, and on edge around the girl in reality.

So when Wink's stories become reality, ending with the disappearance of Poppy, Midnight begins to discover things about Wink and Poppy he never new existed.

Will this story end in violence, or do the characters get their happily ever after?

I love this story! I like how each character has the chance to narrate their own points of view. I think each character was unique in their own special way and it created a wonderful dynamic. I love how the storyline didn't end up like a normal love story. There is adventure, revenge, love, and even some surprising outcomes in this story. All in all these characters were well written and I enjoyed each and every one of them. I would definitely recommend these to my friends and family!

 



Firsts--Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

"People aren’t a chemistry experiment you can tinker with until the proportions are just right.

People are terrifying that way.”

Your first time is something that is not only a big step, but also utterly terrifying. Some people desperately wish that there was some way to get ready or even practice, without their girlfriend or boyfriend finding out. I mean they just want to give that one special person the perfect special time.

Enter Mercedes Ayres.

Seventeen year old Mercedes Ayres gives boyfriends that chance to get the awkward first time over with, and open the door to giving their girlfriends perfect first time. Only catch is the guy has to be a virgin and he can't ever speak of his adventure with Mercedes to anyone. Of course the boys are fine with the secrecy, except for Zach who seems to want more from Mercedes than she is willing to give.

Everything seems to be going quite well that is until Charlie, Mercedes's best friend Angela's boyfriend, wants a turn. Suddenly, Mercedes little "tutoring" becomes public. All Mercedes secretes come to light and she isn't ready for it.

Join Mercedes as she tries to find out who she really is, battles the hatred from her fellow girl classmates, and even love.

I gave this book five stars because I absolutely loved it! This book captured topics that seem to be felt through out high schoolers all over the world. There's self-esteem issues, sexuality issues, bullying, love, and becoming comfortable with our bodies. This book made me really think about things in my life that I have done, and the real thoughts behind them. It gives you an inside view of what people really feel about themselves and how they think their actions affect other people's lives.

Ms. Crawford, I think we should purchase this book because not only does it show you the affects of sexual activity on a teen, but also the affects on the partner of the sexually active teen. This book does not just cover sex, but it also covers the thought process of a teen and how they feel the need to be loved in order to love themselves. It shows us that sex is not supposed to be used for feeling pleasure or a false sense of happiness, but rather for the purpose of expressing your love for the one person you believe will be your first and only love. This book also lets us see the bad affects that sex has on a person, and what multiple sexually partners can really do to a person. I think this book will have a great affect on my fellow peers and believe that this book should be incorporated into our library. This needs to be experienced by our young adults in order to help them find their way through high school and the pressure of sex at our age. 

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."

What We Saw--Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

 

               
              Have you ever been in a situation where something bad happens, and you are the only one that wants to speak out against it? Well that's exactly where Kate Weston finds herself. After a picture of Stacey Stallard passed out over Deacon Mill's shoulder appears on social media, Kate begins to question what really happened that night. Suddenly, controversy erupt in town after Stacey accuses four of Kate's classmates of rape. Kate begins to question What really happened at that party after she left? who was still there? and more importantly what did they see?
     I gave this book a five star rating. This book was absolutely amazing! The mystery and suspense had my heart pounding and my mind dying to find out more as each chapter passed. I enjoyed how there was some romance but also a scandal that I feel any teen could experience at any party. This book may have you believe you have it all figured out by reading one single page, but in reality nothing is as exactly as it appears. The closer you look, the more you see.

 



Everything Everything--Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

                    Imagine being stuck in your house and not able to leave because if you do, you will literally explode. Well that's the life of "Madeline Whitter". You see, she has this disease that makes her allergic to absolutely everything. She lives in a quiet home with her mother and "Carla", her nurse. Life is always constant...that is until Olly moves to town. Nothing will ever be the same. Follow Madeline through the duration of her illness and later find that she may not be the sick one in her home.

               I gave this book four and a half out of five stars. It grabbed your attention and definitely made you want to read more. I haven't really read anything like this book before. Madeline seemed be pretty well developed and seem to have the desire for freedom of any normal teen. One thing I thought could use a little work would have been the plot line. It seemed to need a little more development, but otherwise it was well written. I would recommend this to my friends because it makes you feel what Madeline feels. It makes you want desperately the freedom that Madeline wants. So all in all this is a great book.

Paper Towns--Alexandra Lopez

Author: John Green
Reveiwed by: Alexandra Lopez 

Quentin Jacobsen, most of the book referred to as Q, believes everybody gets one miracle. His just happens to be living next door to the girl of his dreams, Margo Roth Spiegelman. Margo and Quentin go way back. Even when they were nine years old, Q thought she was the most perfect female on the face of the planet, and they played together.  After they found a dead man in the park, Margo appeared outside his window at night to tell him she investigated the dead man. However time goes on, they are older, in high school. They both have gone their separate ways, until one day, miss popular, Margo shows up in Q’s room asking for help. Will Q help Margo with her insane plane to get revenge on her ex?  Will Q be able to tell Margo how he truly feels?

The book was something else. It starts right off with our main character Q to encounter a dead body. This will latter affect his relationship with Margo. I enjoyed that later on they separated, went their separate ways. Whether it has to do with the dead body they found as a child or not. However I think that was probably be of the few realistic parts.  Everyone grows older, and high school you meet new people.  I also wish Q would have just told Margo straight off the bat, he loved her. Maybe Margo wouldn't felt the need for revenge.

Just like that--reviewed by Nallely S.

by Marsha Qualey

* * * * Stars

Hanna just broke up with her boyfriend, and no one understands why. Stressed and tired, she takes a midnight walk to a lake near by. Depressed, and mad, she sees two teens drive by on a snow mobile. Later she realizes she just witnessed a tragedy. She's convinced she could have prevented it from happening. Soon she finds out she's not the only one involved. Will, a boy she soon develops a relationship with is connected to the tragedy. Hanna finds herself in a turmoil, having been captivated by Will and trapped by the image she can't forget of that night. Follow Hanna and Will in this beautiful tragedy.

I gave this book a 4 because although I did enjoy it, I didn't really feel the plot. I felt that Qualey could've elaborated more. It was a fun read and I loved Will's sisters and Hanna's mom. Hanna rushed things when she shouldn't have! Hanna felt guilty for something she really didn't have power over and that kind of bothered me because although she could have said something to the guy and girl, they wouldn't have really listened to her. Since they were there on there own accord. Overall I liked this book. ^ ^  I really wish there was a sequel but the ending pretty much made me happy! ^ ^

-Nallely <3

The Sky is Everywhere - Review by Halea Coulter

The Sky is Everywhere

By Jandy Nelson

* * 1/2 out of 5 stars

The Sky is Everywhere is the story of Lennie. A girl living with her uncle and grandmother and her sister has just died. Her sister, Bailey, has left behind a fiancée named Toby. Lennie never understood what Bailey saw in Toby, but after Bailey's death, Toby and Lennie start to take comfort in each other, and not the kind of comfort brothers and sisters give each other. Enter Joe. An American boy raised in Paris, who is not only gorgeous but also very musically talented. And he wants Lennie, and Lennie really wants him too, in fact, shes in love with him. But the problem is that Toby is still around. What is a girl to do? Especially without the guidance of her older sister . . .

The Sky is Everywhere was nice, but predictable. The cast of characters, especially Lennie's grandmother and uncle were very charming. There wasn't really anyone bad in book, not a real antagonist or anything. And as far as the whole love triangle goes, I mean, come on . . . predictable! So it wasn't really a bad book, there just wasn't much special about it. Although if you are a Sarah Dessen fan, it's probably something you'd enjoy.

Water for Elephants- Review by Aspen Gates

Water for Elephants

Sara Gruen

***** stars

All Jacob Jankowski wanted was to graduate from Cornell and become a veternarian like his father. However, all that changes when he loses both of his parents to a car accident, and he is left with no money. It is 1931 in America and it's also the time of the depression which means that there are no jobs available especially for Jacob's line of profession. Now Jacob is broke and homeless and wandering around when he stumbles onto a train track in the middle night and he sees a train coming and hops on to it not knowing that this would change his life forever. By morning Jacob realizes he has hopped not only on a circus train, but the Benzini Brother's circus owned by a disturbed man name August and winds up becoming their personal vet. And just by working with the animals, Jacob meets Marlena who is the star of the show and who's unfortunately August's wife. When Jacob starts settling down with his new life the circus gets a surprise from August which he says will really help the show out. He buys them a fifty year old elephant named Rosie, and to top it all off he wants Marlena to ride her. But there is just one problem, Rosie does not understand English so everybody immediately assumes that she is dumb, but Jacob being Polish realizes that she can only understand Polish, and from there it brings him closer to Marlena causing him to fall in love with her. Now Jacob, Marlena, and Rosie the elephant start a relationship between them that will cause love and betrayal among and they will just have to ride it out and see what happens at the end of the track.

I thought Water for Elephants was a great story and I loved the relationship that grew between Jacob, Marlena, and Rosie. You could see that they all loved each other in there own ways and it made them stronger. It also Jacob and Marlena realize what they want out of life. I gave this book five stars because it was so original yet it touched my heart and kept me mesmerized throughout the whole novel. Plus I cannot wait to see the movie that came out Friday, April 22, but I would suggest you read the book first because lets face it, the books are always better.

Where She Went--A Review by Sarah Gnefkow

Where She Went 

by Gayle Forman

**** stars  

It had been three years since Mia had survived a horrible car accident, three years since Adam and Mia’s love had saved her, and three years since they had broken up and walked away from each other forever. Now as they went their own ways, they hold completely different lives. Adam is now a tabloid famous rock star living in Los Angeles California with an A-list celeb girlfriend. Mia on the other hand was a successful cello player and a student at Julliard while she is living in New York. One day fate gets Adam stuck in New York for one last night and him and Mia are brought together again. As they start to explore the place that Mia now lives they are reminded of what they once were. They start to wonder of what their futures will become, and if they will include each other in them. But will they reunite for good? Or will it just be a one night fling?


I actually really liked this book that’s why I gave it four stars! You would definitely need to read the first book If I Stay to understand Where She Went. The first book was told from Mia’s point of view but this book is told from Adam’s. It was actually really interesting and I liked how their completely different new lives seemed to tie together with what their old relationship used to be. I definitely recommend this to anyone who really liked the first book.

It's Kind of a Funny Story - Review by Halea Coulter

It's Kind of a Funny Story

by Ned Vizzini

* * * * Stars

What kind of story includes kids that actually study, attempted suicide off the Brooklyn Bridge, crazy people, stress vomiting, a girl that cut her own face, and an Egyptian guy that won't get out of bed? A funny one!! Even though It's Kind of a Funny Story does touch on serious subjects, it is actually funny.

The story opens with Craig, who really wants to jump of the Brooklyn Bridge. But Craig, being one of the smartest kids in New York City, calls the suicide hotline, which tells him to check into the hospital, so he does. The story winds around in an interesting way which starts of switching between how Craig is pushed to end up in the hospital and him actually getting there. But once he does the story stays mostly in the present. While in the hospital, Craig, meets an interesting cast of characters, most of whom are adults in the psych ward, but of course there is Noelle, his love interest, a girl who cut her face. Craig is only in the psych ward for six days, but thats enough to really turn his life around, he learns how to work things and there is plenty of funny along the way.

I love It's Kind of a Funny Story. I do like the story line, to me, it is simple and clean. The story goes from point A to B without tons of irrelevant things getting in the way. The book was very easy to read. I read it in two days I think and it was just easy because the authors tone was very enticing. I feel like the author of the book, wrote kind of like I think, so for me, it was a very enjoyable book. I gave it four stars, which is pretty solid, it's definitely worth picking up and reading, especially if you plan to see the movie!

Nightshade- Review by Aspen Gates

Nightshade

By Andrea Cremer

***stars

Seventeen year old Calla Tor is not only a werewolf, or according to her a guardian, but she is an alpha female of the Nighshade pack that is promised to be married to Ren Laroche, alpha male of the Bane's pack. Together they will be the new pack leaders and protectors of the Keepers who they serve, and in return the guardians are provide with homes, food, education, and safety. Calla and Ren are pretty much set on there future until Calla breaks the rules of the Keeper's and saves a human named Shay from being mauled by a bear. Calla believes everything will go back to normal after she knocks him out, but things seem to get worse when Shay is now the new student at her school. She tries to ignore him, but can't help to be curious about him at the same time since most humans fear the guardians, but Shay doesn't and it starts to cause a problem with Ren who is wanting to teach Shay a lesson about messing with his territory. Yet, things keep getting more and more uncomfortable between the three when Calla is asked to protect Shay from their enemies the Searcher's who want Shay badly. At first Calla is very outraged at this idea including Ren, but quickly turns to liking Shay when he convinces her to start reading forbidden books about her people's history. It's these books that will change Calla's life forever and now she must decide on whether or not she should follow her heart and runaway with the love her life Shay, or stay and be married to Ren who also loves her and to serve the guardians.

Nightshade was a very different different kind of werewolf story and thats what made me really connect and like this book. I gave this book four stars because the ending could have had a better cliff hanger but all in all it was a wonderful book and I can't wait to read Wolfsbane which is the second of this series. I would definitely recommend this book to all who are tired of the traditional werewolves, vampire stories because this is something completely different than any I have ever read. So check Nightshade out in the O'Hara Library because if you like supernatural creature stories like me, you will love this series.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Grim and haunting, January 10, 2010

I rate books on how much of an impact they have on me and whether or not I will think about or want to discuss the contents after I've read the last page and closed the cover. The Road is a post apocalyptic novel that will stay with me a very long time. The bleakness of the journey that this unnamed father and son embark on is quickly evident -- they are going south but have no real plan and no endpoint or destination in mind. They traverse an unrelenting and very bleak landscape of ash and burnt out flora, fauna and civilization -- devoid of any life except for the occasional creature that bears little resemblance to what was once humankind. The man and the boy stick to the endless blacktop, the road -- the only somewhat permanent residual marker in a very changed world. They walk by day, pushing a metal grocery cart full of their meager possessions, avoiding the marauding bands of cannibals and even the lone survivors as trust is not a trait they can afford to have when it is survival of the fittest at stake.

Though the story is very grim, the love and protectiveness that the father has for his son is the only light in this otherwise very depressing narrative. They are all unto each other -- there is no one else and nothing else. Memories that the man has are soon discarded as his reality is faced with plugged determination -- a search for food, water, warmth -- merely to survive another day.

I'm eager to see the movie based on this book and hope it's a faithful adaptation. This is definitely a novel that I will think about time and again as it haunts me with its stark portrayal of whatever comes after "the end of the world as we knew it."
I gave this 5 stars, not because it was a pleasant story, but because of the impact it had on my psyche and my senses as I read it.
I can't really say I LOVED this book, but I did live it.
Recommend.