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.