Basketball superstar of a State Champion winning team decides to make sure the girls' team also wins a State Title but ends up lusting over (and loving) a girl called "The Mutant." Deannie, "The Mutant," comes from an awful family. Her step-dad verbally, physically, and sexually abuses her, her mother is in a drug-addled stupor, and she barely has enough to eat. She doesn't trust that Sam actually might like her, nose ring, face chains, tattoos, and all.

This book made me uncomfortable, but I think in a good way. VERY sexual, but not really in a sexy way, and very frank. Deannie was used to sex as a means to end, a punishment, something to check out during. Sam wants to please her (good for him). A lot of this book deals with sex, a lot with basketball, and a lot about family. This book made me think of Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, but a far uglier and grittier version of that tale.

A bit overly long with an anti-climatic ending for me, but still an intriguing read and a great example of an adult book that would probably be marketed as YA today (originally published in the 1990s).

I read this based on a recommended reading list of New Adult titles to better acquaint myself with this developing genre...and it failed for me on many fronts. I gave it 2 stars because I did read through but I don't understand why this was included on a "must read" list. I don't connect well with "insta-love" stories and I'm also not a fan of older man with money allows young (poor) girl to strive for her dreams (with his money). Basically, not really for me.

Not sure I like how Roland is drawn in this book. Despite having a hard life on the road, he has quite a bit more muscles then in previous volumes.

Super cute photos, but the text wasn't as charming as the pics.

Set in 1989, this story focuses on a liberal (poor) boy named Seth and a republican (rich) girl named Quinn and their love story. My issue with this book was that it spent so much time loading the reader with details on Reaganism, liberalism, history, suicide, and other typical debate match topics that the character development suffered. It felt very after school special to me.

Worth a breeze through if you are feeling nostalgic for the era, but I wouldn't' necessarily hand to teens at my library.

Tackles the horrific Armenian genocide with graceful verse, lending it gravitas yet making it accessible to younger (14+) readers. I was pleased to finally find a YA novel in verse that wasn't about drug abuse or self-mutilation, but this topic was definitely as heavy. I don't think this will be a book casual readers will pick up, because while Walrath deftly weaves her story, this is one better read in a classroom setting along with concurrent history lessons. Very timely for the 100th anniversary of this tragedy that Turkey still resolutely denies ever happened.

I read also used this title to tick off my "poetry" square for my 2015 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge.

This is the first book in months that I've finished in one sitting. I was up all night reading this sweet tale of first love between two misfit high schoolers in 1986. Rowell captivated me with her characters who while far from perfect, were all the more beautiful and tragic due to their quirks and imperfections. I only wish I had the complete track listings for the various mixed tapes the characters exchanged throughout the story. HIGHLY recommend.