Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn, color your hair, watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five.... In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world, or you can just jump off it. In nineteen minutes, you can get revenge.

Sterling is a small, ordinary New Hampshire town where nothing ever happens - until the day its complacency is shattered by a shocking act of violence. In the aftermath, the town's residents must not only seek justice in order to begin healing but also to come to terms with the role they played in the tragedy. For them, the lines between truth and fiction, right and wring, insider and outsider have been obscured forever. Josie Cormier, the teenage daughter of the judge sitting on the case, could be the state's best witness, but she can't remember what happened in front of her own eyes. and as the trial progresses, fault lines between the high school and the adult community begin to show, destroying the closest friendships and families.


Again, I was rendered speechless by a work of the amazing Jodi Picoult. I'm not even going to try to write about my feelings. Because it will just end up sounding like a ....a...umm. See? Speechless. But I will say this. Picoult has encouraged and forced me to look at things from a different perspective as I've learned that I am hasty to pass judgment on others. Definitely a must read.

alright, so i'm back and it feels great.

Genius Squad by Catherine Jinks
Sequel to Evil Genius

Cadel Piggott. Looks like an angelic 8 year-old, but behind those innocent eyes lurks a genius. Yes, he is a computer hacker and despite his small size he can change other people's lives with a stroke of a computer keyboard. He attended the Axis Institute where they taught everything, from embezzlement to perfect disguise, to poisoning without a trace. But a series of events lead him to find out that he is not who others made him believe to be. So now he is under constant supervision living in a foster home and worrying about his future... Want to know more? Read the book.
I don't know if I succeeded in making you guys interested, but i tried. Loved this book. Apparently it's a trilogy, so I will definitely check out Genius Wars.

Circle the Soul Softly by Davida Wills Hurwin

This morning was supposed to mark the official birth of my new identity. New house, New father- well, sort of- new school, new girl. This one is funny and knows what to say. I swear she's in here. I just don't know how to get her out.

An elite school. Glamorous students who have fancy cars and mansions for homes (and all the haughty attitude to go with it). This is Katie O'Connor's fabulous new life since her family's recent move to Brentwood - a perfect opportunity for a fresh start, at least in theory.
The only time she can overlook the hostility of her classmates is when they share the stage for plays. Onstage, directed by her awesome drama teacher, Tess, she has the confidence and talent that she cannot seem to muster in her everyday life. And it doesn't hurt that one of Katie's fellow actors is smart and cute and interested in her. But beneath the glossy surface, there are secrets buried deep, even in Katie's own past.
Nightmares and dark memories continue to plague Katie's consciousness, and in order to deal with the present, she needs to come to terms with the past. If only she could remember it.
10/10
Great book. I could not figure out what was wrong with Katie until basically the end of the book. She was sexually abused by her father when she was 8 years old. But through the years she has sealed the memories away, still, it continues to haunt her. She's become a stranger to herself.
In her new life, she meets David and falls for him, but she begins to push him away. The memories of the "monster" turns her into stone, terrified to the point where she doesn't feel any emotions. She has to face the truth and work through her problems.

Claws by Will Weaver

For sixteen- year- old Jed Berg, life couldn't be sweeter. He;s gotten his driver's license, landed a major girlfriend, and made number- one singles in varsity tennis. His dad has even begun to let him drive his 1969 Chevy Camaro - he;s the envy of every guy at school. Then Ted meets his nemesis, a strange punk chick who seems to know everything about Jed- and about his family. She has a secret to share, a secret so unsettling it triggers a chain of dreadful events.
4/10
Overall good writing, but the ending flops. I mean, why build this character from the beginning and kill them off like that. It spoiled the whole book for me.

Chasing Windmills by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Both Sebastian and Maria live in a world ruled by fear. Sebastian, a lonely seventeen- year-old, is suffocating under his dominant father's control. In the ten years since his mother passed away, his father has kept him "safe" by barely

allowing him out of their apartment. Sebastian's secret late- night subway rides are rare acts of rebellion. Another is a concealed friendship with his neighbor Delilah, who encourages him to question his father's version of reality. Soon it becomes unclear whether even his mother's death was a lie.
Maria, a young mother of two, is trying to keep peace at home despite her boyfriend's abuse. When she loses her job, she avoids telling him by riding the subways during her usual late-night shift. She knows her sister Stella is right: She needs to "live in the truth" and let the chips fall where they may. But she still hasn't been able to bring herself to do it. And soon he will expect her paycheck to arrive.
When Sebastian and Maria wind up on the same train, their eyes meet across the subway car, and these two strangers find a connection that neither can explain or ignore. Together they dream of a new future, agreeing to run away and find Sebastian's grandmother in the Mojave Desert. But Maria doesn't know Sebastian is only seventeen. And Sebastian doesn't know Maria has children until the moment they leave. Ultimately, Maria brings one child her daughter. Can she really leave her little boy behind? And if no, what will it cost her to face her furious jilted abuser?
10/10
Another great masterpiece by Catherine Hyde, the author of Pay it forward. I was blown away by this book. I'm just speechless. I mean, there is nothing to review about. It's just perfect. Definitely recommend it. And coincidentally a day after I read this book, my family decided to go on a trip to Palms Springs. And on the way I saw the windmills. They were beautiful.

Gossip of the Starlings by Nina de Gramont

When Catherine Morrow is admitted to the Esther Percy School for Girls, it;s on the condition that she reforms her ways. But that's before the beautiful and charismatic Skye Butterfield, chooses Catherine for her best friend. Skye is in love with danger and the thrill of taking risks, breaking rules, and crossing boundaries, no matter the stakes. The problem is, the stakes keep getting higher, and Catherine can neither resist Skye nor stop her from taking down everyone around her.
9/10
The beginning of this book was boring. I honestly thought of putting it down and starting on a different book. But then it got interesting and I wanted to understand and learn more about these complicated multi- layered characters. Now I'm not a very big fan of "preppy" books with boarding schools and he said/ she said drama. But there are always a few exceptions that blow me away. I liked this book...

Chasing Tail Lights by Patrick Jones

Christy loves to stand in the highway overpass, watching the tail lights of traveling cars and imagining where they could take her. Her father used to tell her that whenever he got lost, he'd chase the lights of the car in front of him and they'd always lead him home. But since her father died, home is the last place Christy wants to be. Instead of providing a haven from a troubled city, her family suffers from its own form of urban decay, blighted by alcoholism, violence, and despair.
Christy's always searching for someone- a guy, a friend, a stranger- to lead her anywhere, as long as its out of Flint, Michigan. But until she realizes she's looking for that beacon of light in all the wrong places, she's going to say stuck on the bad side of tracks in this dead-end town.
6/10
This book was a lot like Speak. I don't have much else to say about it. Honestly, this book was a little depressing. The theme and message was played out a little too much.

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate- a life and role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she really is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister- and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves.
My sister's keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child's life, even if it means infringing upon the rights of another?
Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less? Should you follow your own heart, or let others lead you?
10/10
I guess because of the cover I thought the book was going to be about ballet and dancing or something. Anyways, this book was amazing. It touches on many controversial topics and makes you really see what it means to be a family. This was my first Jodi Picoult book, and I must say, it blew me away. The plot is great, the characters developed greatly and it keeps you at the edge of your seat. The ending was great. It was sad but it really polished and completed the novel. After I finished the book I ran into the restroom and had a good cry. I recommend this book. And I definitely will be reading more of Jodi Picoult.

The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti

I suddenly see where I'm standing, and that's at the edge of change- really, really big change.
Eighteen-year-old Indigo Skye feels like she has it all- a waitress job she loves, an adorable refrigerator- delivery-guy boyfriend, and a home life that's slightly crazed but rich in love. Until a mysterious man at the restaurant leaves her a 2.5- million- dollar tip, and her life as she knew is is transformed.
At first it's amazing: a hot new car, enormous flat- screen TV, and presents for everyone she cares about. She laughs off the warnings that money changes people, that they come to rely on what they have instead of who they are. Because it won't happen ...not to her. Or will it? What do you do when you can buy anything your heart desires- but what your heart desires can't be bought?
This is the story of a girl who gets rich, gets lost, and ultimately finds her way back- if not where she started, then to where she can start again.
10/10
Absolutely amazing!! I inhaled this book day and night. It had a unique, interesting plot, the characters were real and it definitely makes you laugh and also think deeply about yourself. I'm loving Deb Caletti's work.

Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell

"I've got my entire life planned out for the next ten years- including my PhD and Pulitzer Prize," claims 16 year-old overachiever Vassar Spore, the daughter of overachiever parents, who, in true overachiever fashion, named her after an elite women's college. Vassar expects her sophomore summer to include both AP and AAP (Advanced Advanced Placement) classes. Surprise! Enter a world- traveling relative who sends her plans into a tailspin when she blackmails Vassar's parents into forcing their only child to backpack with her through Southeast Asia.
On a journey from Malaysia to Cambodia ti the remote jungles of Laos, Vassar is faced with things she isn't prepared for- adventure, danger, a Malaysian cowboy-slash-bodyguard her own age- and in learning to "live in the moment" uncovers a family secret that turns her world upside down.
Vassar Spore can plan on one thing: She'll never be the same again.
7/10
Overall the plot and "moral" of the book was understandable. But some things were so unbelievable and unrealistic. Ther were some laugh out loud moments like a miracle bra that saved a life but other than that it was hard to get through.

Wild Roses by Deb Caletti

You would have never recognized the Dino I lived with in the books that had been written about him before the "incident." No one had a clue. No one seemed to see what was coming.

Seventeen-year-old Cassie Morgan has a secret: She's living with a time bomb (a.k.a. her stepfather, Dino Cavalli). To the public, Dino is a world-renowned violinist and composer. To Cassie, he's an erratic, self-centered bully.

Dino has always been difficult, but as he prepares for his comeback concert, something in him begins to shift. He seems more high-strung than ever, set off by any little thing. He stops sleeping, starts chain-smoking. And he grows increasingly paranoid, saying things that Cassie is desperate to make sense of, but can't. So she does what she thinks she must: She tries to hide his behavior from the outside world. Before, she was angry. Now, she is afraid.

Enter Ian Waters: a brilliant young violinist, and Dino's first-ever student. The minute Cassie lays eyes on Ian she knows she's doomed. She tries everything to keep away from him, but is drawn to him in a way she's never felt before. It should be easy. It should be beautiful. It is not. Cassie thought she understood that love could bring pain. But this union will have consequences she could not have imagined.

As the novel crashes through two irreparable events and speeds toward its powerful end, one thing becomes clear: In the world of insanity, nothing is sacred.
10/10
Sorry no review since the book was just perfect. I was speechless.

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, she meets a boywho introduces her to crank. At first she finds it freeing, but soon Kristina’s personality disappears inside the drug. What began as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul, and her life.

6/10
I guess this book was okay. I could not really relate to the book because I have no experience with drugs. But I guess for other people it would be okay. I have little to say. Sorry

Burned by Ellen Hopkins

Raised in a stern, abusive Mormon household, a teenage girl starts to question her religion and struggles to find her destiny.

Her father is abusive, her mother is submissive, and her church looks the other way. Confused and angry, Pattyn Von Stratten acts out and is sent to live with an aunt on a Nevada ranch. She finds the love and acceptance she craves, with disturbing consequences.
10/10
WOW. This book was amazing. I loved it because the main character seemed so real and palpable. I know that Ellen Hopkins touches on very disturbing, real and controversial topics. But I really think she outdid herself with Burned. I recommend this book. I must admit I cried at the end of the book.

Out for a while

Finals are crazy right now, so i have to study. Be back when school is over.

Bliss by Lauren Myracle

Bones, says a voice in my head, tombs. I stop dead in my tracks, because it's not my voice that whispered these thoughts. And whoever's voice it is, it's not a nice voice.
With it's stately, ivy-colored buildings, Crestview Academy seems impossibly grand to newcomer Bliss, but full of promise too. It's here she hopes to make the sort of friends she never could growing up as the love kid on a commune. With her crisp new uniform and manners gleaned from the wholesome TV shows her grandmother permits her to watch, Bliss feels ready for her new life at Crestview. Until she hears the voice.
Crestview holds secrets in it's stones, ghostly hints of long ago death. Sensitive Bliss hears a voice that speaks of terrible things...and blood. Always blood. Her fellow students, with their sunny smiles and talk of make up and dances, seem untouched by this darkness. Yet, as Bliss will learn, they too have secrets. When the simmering tensions of the present mingle with the dark secrets of the past, it is kindly Bliss who becomes the focus of a deadly struggle for power.
9/10
This book was surprisingly good, from beginning to end it just pulled me right in. The only things was how the main character, Bliss was too sensitive.

who sent it?

I recently got a copy of Jessica's Guide to Dating On the Dark Side.I do not know who sent it. And if you are out there I would like to thank you.

The Heartbreakers by Pamela Wells

Three breakups.
Sydney's longtime steady ,Drew, unexpectedly bails.
Raven can't decide between Caleb and Horace. They decide for her, and suddenly she's left with a sum total of zero boyfriends.
Kelly's kinda-sorta boyfriend, Will, has plans for Valentine's Day. Just not with her.
Four friends.
Alexia's never had a broken heart, but that's because she's never had a serious boyfriend. So when her three BFF's turn up boyless, shes' sympathetic... but maybe secretly- selfishly- glad. She has her friends back. She just had to help them get over their heartaches.
Twenty- nine rules.
How else to get over the breakups but follow a simple rules? It all goes so well at first; There are girly sleepovers, cold shoulders, and the destruction of sentimental items. But even as the girls redicover their friendship, rules are broken left and right. Soon the formerly heartbroken are on their way to becoming heartbreakers themselves. Especially Alexia.
4/10
This book took so long for me to read, because it was horribly boring. I guess it would help you if you're recently heartbroken. But there really was no plot and had the ever- present life lessons, we've heard over and over. Love yourself, be who you are, blah blah blah.

Sucks To Be Me by Kimberly Pauley

Mina Hamilton's parents want her dead. (Or undead to be precise.) They're vampires, and like it or not, Mina must decide whether to become a vampire herself. But Mina's more interested in hanging out with best friend Serena and trying to catch the eye of the too-hot-for-high-school Nathan Able than in the vampire training classes she's being forced to take. How's a girl supposed to find the perfect prom date and pass third-year French when her mom and dad are breathing down her neck--literally? She ends up with George, and gets turned.

6/10

The Poison Apples by Lily Archer

We all know the stories of Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel. But have you ever heard of Alice Bingley- Beckerman, Reena Paruchuri, or Molly Miller? Of course you haven't. Not yet. What these girls have in common with their fairy-tale sisters is this: They are the stepdaughters of three very evil stepmothers. And they're not happy about it. They think they are alone in their unhappiness until they arrive at Putnam Mount McKinsey, a posh boarding school located in lovely rural Massachusetts. Here is where they will plot their revenge. But first, they have to meet.

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini

Oaths sworn...
loyalties tested...
forces collide.
It's been only months since Eragon first uttered "brisingr," an ancient language term for fire. Since then, he's not only learned to create magic with words- he's been challenged to his very core. Following the colossal battle against the Empire's warriors on the Burning Plains, Earagon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives. Still, there is more adventure at hand for the Rider and his dragon, as Eragon finds himself bound by a tangle of promises he may not be able to keep.
First is Eragon's oath to his cousin, Roran: to help rescue Roran;s beloved from King Galbatorix's clutches. But Eragon owes his loyalties to others, too. The Varden are in desperate need of his talents and strength- as are the elves and dwarves. When unrest claims the rebels and danger strikes from every corner, Eragin must make choices- choices that will take him across the Empire and beyond, choices that mey lead to inimagined sacrifice.
Eragon is the greates hope to rid the land of tyranny. Can this once simple farm boy unite the rebel forces and defeat the king?
10/10