Welll.... I really tried with this one. I haven't read the author's previous book, A Man Called Ove, which was critically acclaimed and seemed to be popular. I considered reading it several times, but each time I changed my mind. I just wedding think it was for me. I have been hearing a lot of buzz and recommendations for Bear Town, so I thought I'd give it a try. Turns out, this one just isn't for me either.

Brief Summary: Bear Town is a small town in the woods of Sweden. It's a hockey town, meaning that hockey is the only thing that really happens in this town - it fuels the economy and is the primary source of entertainment. The story begins on the day before a major semifinal game for one of the youth teams. We learn about many residents of the town - adults and children - from the hockey clubs General Manager, several players on the team, and Coaches. The plot takes us from the semifinal game to the celebratory party afterwards, which leads to the major conflict and aftermath of the story. we see how the celebrity of being a hockey star and the politics of sports can affect lives and the search for truth and justice.

What I Liked: I did like the sleepy, dark setting of Bear Town. I love hockey and watch a lot of NHL hockey, so I was intrigued by the hockey life and inside aspects of the sport. I also became interested in (but not really invested in) some of the characters, particularly Amat and Benji, two young hockey players. Both of these guys come from "the wrong side" of Bear Town, and served as a juxtaposition to other characters like Kevin, the star player who comes from the wealthy neighborhood. I always root for the underdog.

What I Didn't Like: I really didn't connect with most of the characters. First of all, I think there were too many characters, and the story jumps from different viewpoints, and I felt like I wasn't able to get to know any of them well enough. The writing just wasn't deep enough for me to get a real sense of who these people were and why I should or shouldn't like them. I felt that the connection with most of the characters didn't dive below the surface. Also, I just wasn't a fan of the writing style. I thought the book was way too long, and the language a little too flowery and literary.

Final Thoughts: although I didn't enjoy reading this book (I didn't look forward to reading it; I was hurrying through so I could finish rather than savor it the story and characters), I can appreciate it and understand how others would like it. I think my attention span is short these days and I need something faster-paced that grabs my attention quickly and holds it until the end. I almost put down Bear Town several times, but was hopeful that it would snap me attention and reel me in at some point. Sadly, it never really did.

This book is a gem! I loved the main character, Sofia, and found her endearing and an honest representation of a 14-year old girl. At times her best friend Kiki, was a bit corny, and some of the dialogue was just a bit off, but overall this book rang true to some one who spends a lot,of time with pre-teens and teens. I looked forward to reading it and thought about it when I had to put it down to actually get on with my life.

Brief Summary: Sofia is a 14-year old living in New York City. She attends a private all-girls school where her mother was a beloved Spanish teacher. Was. When the story opens in January, Sofia's mother has died 8 months ago and Sofia and her father and trying to cope with the loss and their new relationship as a two person family. Sofia and her BFF, Kiki, attend a speaker at their school, Dear Kate, who writes an advice column for teenagers. Both girls are enraptured by Dear Kate's wisdom and honesty. Later that evening, Sofia's father attends a parent session with Dear Kate. The story progresses from January to January, a Year in Sophia's Life. Sofia starts writing to Dear Kate, asking for advice she wishes she could ask her mother as she struggles with life's challenges of becoming a young woman. Dear Kate writes back in endearing and sincere letters. Sofia's father begins dating, and in the spring we learn that the "Mystery Woman" is Dear Kate! Sofia's father and Kate reconnected at the school assembly - they knew each other in high school. From there, Sofia grapples with all of the changes happening in her life and begins to navigate high school and dating - with Dear Kate by her side.

What I Liked: the story is sweet, but not sappy; heartfelt but not too deep; and the relationships are honest and real. I Liked that Sofia was only 14 turning 15; a lot of YA is about kids a few years older and the content is more mature. Speed of Life goes at Sofia's speed - one month at a time. She does not rush into dating, sex, or drinking alcohol - which I appreciated in this story. I Liked that the story was realistic and believeable.

What I Didn't Like: Not much! There were some cheesy one-liners from Kiki and Alexa, Dear Kate's daughter, but other than that, I really enjoyed this book.

Final Thoughts: this is a book I will definitely recommend to my students. I think the age recommendation of 11-15 is perfect and is the same age population of the students I work with. I think it is an appropriate read for that age group and parents will not have to worry about mature content. This story made even a 30-something get teary-eyed! Sofia was 13 when her mother died; I was 15 when my father died. I felt that her experience of adjusting to life without her mother and the life situations that come up which Sofia must figure out on her own were real.

Overall, this is a fun but touching read. I cared about the characters and was invested In their lives. I highly recommend this book to teens and adults!

** I want to sincerely thank the publisher for allowing me to read this book, courtesy of NetGalley. It was a pleasure to read and review.

Despite the cover image and many descriptions of this book, it is not about a woman and her dog. It is about a woman trying to find herself and a purpose in life after a devastating incident in Afghanistan which caused her to lose her eye and resulted in the deaths of several of her colleagues. Disappointingly, the dog does not appear until 50% of the way through the story.

Brief Summary: Army Sergeant LeAnne Hogan is in Walter Reed Medical Center following a failed mission in Afghanistan where most of her command died and where she lost her right eye and suffered gruesome injuries to her face. LeAnne protests psychiatric treatment and a prosthetic eye, struggles to remember what happened in Afghanistan and in the weeks after. She forms a close bond with her hospital roommate Marci, who has had her leg amputated. The two women try to cope with life after the Army and with PTSD. Marci dues suddenly due to a blood clot, and LeAnne leaves Walter Reed against medical advice. She heads west - towards her former home, and Marci's. Eventually she finds a dog - or the dog finds her - and the healing process begins.

What I Liked: I liked the dog, whom is eventually called Goody. Unfortunately she does not appear until the halfway point. Until then, the reader gets to know LeAnne in the present as a woman who is hurting emotionally and physically, and in the past as a great athlete and girl with ambition and a scholarship to West Point. Goody and LeAnne have a lot/hate relationship at first, but Goody comes to serve as LeAnne's protector and confidant. I enjoyed seeing this relationship grow. In the last 1/3 of the book, LeAnne helps Marci's daughter and in some way completes a final mission; this did seem meaningful and wrapped up the story nicely.

What I Didn't Like: I didn't really like LeAnne! I didn't connect with her, although I definitely had empathy for everything she has been through. She seemed pretty unlikeable to me, and I never found any of her choices or behaviors redeeming.

Final Thoughts: the narrative seemed disjointed to me and I wasn't sure where the author was headed with LeAnne's story. I feel misled that the story would be about a veteran and her service-type dog.

* I was able to read this book courtesy of the publisher. I thank them for giving me the opportunity to read the book and write an honest review.

I gave this book 3 stars - which is an average. For me, the first half of the book was 2 stars and the second half was 4 stars, it took a while for the two main characters - Robin, a young girl whose parents have been killed, and Beauty, a mother looking for her daughter - to settle in and become whole characters. Robin and Beauty meet halfway through the book, and that's when the story really gets started. The entire story is told from alternating points of view.

Robin, 9, has a pretty good life in the suburbs on Johannesburg - until her parents re murdered on the evening of the Soweto uprising (which started as a student protest and became much more in the nation's history). Beautys living in the Transkei villages, working as a teacher and caring for two sons. Her husband died in the coal mines and her daughter has been attending school in Soweto. Beauty travels to Soweto to bring her daughter home - only to enter the city on the day of the Uprising, and her daughter Nomsa becomes a warrior soldier. The plot unfolds as we see how the Uprising affects both women singularly - Robin, now an orphan, and Beauty, searching for her daughter. Eventually Beauty comes to take care of Robin while she remains in the city looking for her daughter.

I connected with Robin's character much more than Beauty's during the first half of the book. Her voice seemed real and genuine, while Beauty's voice was harder for me to connect with. It seemed that her life and story line moved much slower than Robin's did, and slowed the owner all pace of the book. Once the two characters met, the pace jump started as did the plot.

The relationship between Beauty and Robin is really the heart of the story. Robin struggles to adapt to life as an orphan, living with her aunt Edith, who never wanted to be a parent, beauty becomes the mother she needs. Beauty is missing her own children and Robin fulfills her misssing nurturing spirit. This relationship is not without conflict, of course, and the two women must find a way to meet their own needs while still maintaining their mutually beneficial relationship.

** I am grateful that I was able to read and preview this book as a courtesy from the publisher and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.