Charlie's path is plotted on on regular graph. Graduate from his STEM focused high school, attend MIT, do wonderful mathematical related careers. No distractions besides hazing the new English teacher (why read books when you can do math). This may change however when Charlie's sister brings home her first friend. Charlotte is beautiful, smart, and actually OK with Charlie's awkwardness. And she is at Charlie's house ALL THE TIME. How can he not be distracted?

Starts like a lovely contemporary romance then boom, meet Act II where your poor little heart gets ripped out of your chest.

Thank you to www.netgalley.com for the ARC.

When I picked this up I really didn't read the description because I loved the cover and heard of the author through another author I adore (Maggie Steifvater). I totally thought (for some reason) that this was going to be about Victorian England, perhaps something along the lines of Jack the Ripper for teens, and that it would be awesome.

WELL, it was awesome, but it was totally a contemporary horror tale, complete with a serial killer, ghosts, and a photo developing shop. The mystery wasn't as awesome as the characters, but I definitely enjoyed reading and was super creeped out.

This was on a B&N list for "If you like Outlander try this" but besides the 18th century Scottish setting and rebel activity there was really no similarity. I'll take confident, feminist, and bad ass Claire over this vapid annoyance any day. AND despite how annoying I found the main lady, I didn't like how Alexander continuously used sexual acts as a means to punish and control her.

Rowena takes a summer job as a face painter and serving wench to escape the betrayal of her boyfriend. It doesn't hurt that their is a real life "knight in shining armor" named Christian who Rowena thinks will be the perfect antidote to her heartbreak. But, there is also that cute whip cracker, Will... Living in a tent, dressing up in authentic clothes, and making friends, this may be the summer Rowena really finds herself.

Super sweet and fluffy contemporary romance, fairly fun to read, just got a bit too after school special for me at the end. But I'd curl up in a sleeping bag with Will the Whip Cracker any day.

Privileged white girl is kidnapped, and after she is returned has Stockholm syndrome and selective amnesia. Alternating between the POVs of her mother, the lead detective on the case, and her kidnapper in "Before" and "After" the kidnapping chapters, the reader is led to wonder why was Mia kidnapped, why did her kidnapper not hand her off to the man who hired him to take her, and why is her family so shitty?

I was compelled enough to finish, but the ending just made me mad and not in a "wow that was so worth the anger" way. Fans of "Gone Girl" will probably enjoy, but this wasn't really for me.

Lennie (short for Lennon) was the companion pony to her racehorse of a sister, Bailey. But, Bailey died and now Lennie is left bereft, confused, and lost. The only person who seems to understand is Toby, her sister's boyfriend, but how can Lennie be attracted to him? And why do they keep making out every time they see each other? Toby helps Lennie remember, but new guy Joe who shares Lennie's own passion for music helps her forget. Both make her feel absolutely guilty for not keeping Bailey in focus.

Wow -really great. I loved the narrative structure and how almost stream of conscious it often was. You can definitely tell Jandy Nelson is a poet, and I adored the inclusion of the pictures of poems Lennie leaves on scraps of paper, empty Styrofoam coffee cups, and tree branches; poems set adrift to the world.

The story is very frank about sex and longing and the shattering feelings that death can bring to a family. Lennie is a jerk, but you can't help but feel for her as she struggles to overcome her own grief and realize she isn't the only one mourning her sister. Lennie's passion for music and poetry is clear and beautiful, and it helps her grow a lot in this tale.

Some may question the morality of Lennie's actions with the two guys, but this seems far more realistic to me than "there can only be one." She's 16 for crying out loud, and her own personal growth regarding her actions is an important lesson for teens.

The cast of supporting characters is also amazing (especially Gram and Uncle Big).

Highly recommend. I'm excited to read I'll Give you the Sun - Nelson's next offering.

Super violent but riveting story about four zoo lions who escape after the Baghdad zoo is bombed during the second Iraq War. Based on true events, Vaughan and the artist Niko Henrichon have a captivating and horrific tale. Often banned for "sexual content" I found the violence more shocking, but only as a very important part of the tale.

Frightening, twisty, and gruesome, "The 5th Wave" is humanity's worst nightmare come to life. Four different waves of an alien invasion have rendered the earth a wasteland, with over 7 billion humans dead. The few remaining survivors struggle to live in a land where the enemy has the face of a human.

Brilliant dialouge from the various teens in this novel along with a variety of mysteries that will keep you on your seat. Yancey also ties things up enough in the end to make this a stand alone, but also leaves a door propped for further sequels. This book is optioned for film and to no wonder! Can't wait.

Listened to audiobook from 09/14-09/24/2014 (or around abouts). Great narrators with authentically "young" voices kept the story moving along.