Tag Archives: romance

Prepped by Bethany Mangle

Posted on by

This is a story about a community of “Doomsday Preppers.” The narrator, Becca, is a third generation community member, she’s been born into the world of safety at all costs. Now, as a soon-to-be-graduate, Becca desperately wants to leave behind the craze she’s grown up in. Fortunately she finds an ally in Roy, the boy that her parents have pre-arranged her marriage to, both are keeping the same secret: they do not believe in Doomsday. The only thing really holding Becca back is her younger sister; she knows that her absence within the community will put her sister in a dangerous position. Becca and Roy work together to devise a plan to help Becca’s sister and escape from the community.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are well developed and the storyline is unique. As readers we root for Becca and Roy and wonder what the future holds for the two of them. You could hand this book to almost any student and there will be something for them to relate to.

Amazon.com: Prepped (9781534477506): Mangle, Bethany: Books

Cold Day in the Sun

Posted on by

The protagonist, Holland Delviss, is an excellent hockey player, growing up with three brothers playing the same sport. One of her brothers is the co-captain of the boys team at her high school. While it would be predicted that she would excel on the girls team, she wants to play at what she considers a more competitive level and so she tries out and makes the boys team. And this is when the trouble starts. Holland has to endure the prejudice and disapproval of many of the citizens of her town, Halcyon Lake. She also has her own inner struggles, worrying that other people think that she is not good enough. When her school team is selected to be featured on television as part of a regional HockeyFest, her status as the only girl on the boys’ team makes her the lead story. But not everyone is excited about her new fame. One person fiercely supports her, and it’s the last person she expects: the other co-captain of the team, the bossy and domineering Wes.

The best parts of the story involve Holland’s struggle for equity and justice for female athletes, her drive to be known as an excellent hockey player, not just as a girl hockey player. The less satisfying parts are the romance that rapidly develops between Holland and Wes. The story would have been satisfying without teen romance. Nonetheless, Cold Day in the Sun is an enjoyable YA novel.

Lovely, Dark, and Deep by Justina Chen

Posted on by

Lovely, Dark, and DeepLovely, Dark, and Deep by Justina Chen is a novel with characters who display strength and perseverance while dealing with life changing, difficult circumstances. Viola Li is a die hard comic book fan. She is also an advocate for many different causes; she loves to bake and cook, raising money to donate and educate others about these important issues. At one such bake sale, Viola suddenly develops an extreme sensitivity to sunlight; this turns out to be much more intense and serious than she and her family originally thought. She can no longer attend school because of the florescent lights; she can no longer drive because windows don’t block out the light; she can not be on her phone or computer for longer than 15 minutes at a time because the lights will burn her; she is forbidden see her love interest, Josh, because her parents feel as though he makes risky decisions rather than working to protect her. Viola could choose to give up, but rather than doing that, she comes up with a Plan B that just may work for her future.

The characters are very likable and well developed. The author has clearly done her research in regard to photosensitivity; the situations are realistic and believable. This book is a great addition to any library because of the diverse characters and topics presented.

Worthy by: Donna Cooner

Posted on by

Donna Cooner’s novel Worthy does a good job of illustrating how consuming social media can be for teens. Someone at Huntsville High School has created an app that allows users to judge whether or not the females in a dating pair are worthy of their male partner. No one knows who the creator of the app is but everyone seems to have an opinion about each of the couples selected for judgment. The app arrives on the scene at the same time that the Junior/Senior Prom is also being planned. The results posted on Worthy have significant impact upon the couples; some fall apart, others fight even harder. Most important is the mental impact that the results have upon the girls being judged, it’s all consuming – the girls are almost unable to function in other areas of life and school while waiting then are left doubting many aspects of them selves after the results are in. In addition to illustrating the impact that this type of social media has upon society, this book also does a good job of addressing social status and popularity within high schools. It is a fast read that will appeal to students interested in realistic fiction and relationships. Appropriate for upper middle school and high school students.

Vanilla by Billy Merrell

Posted on by

Vanilla by: Billy Merrell

Vanilla by: Billy Merrell

The book Vanilla by Billy Merrell is beautifully written and have quickly become one of my favorites. The story follows two high school boys, Vanilla and Hunter, who have been in love since middle school. Their relationship is based first on friendship and later on romantic feelings. Although things have progressed physically over time, Hunter is ready for much more than Vanilla is ready to give. The two are struggling in their relationship for the first time; both are emotionally invested and have feeling of love for one another, but Vanilla continually backs away from sex any time the two discuss it or get close to trying – ultimately causing a rift between the two. Written in verse, Vanilla, will appeal to reluctant readers because of the lyrical nature and the unusual formatting, it makes for a very quick read. Ultimately, Vanilla allows readers to watch as the characters struggle with their own sense of self-discovery. Anyone looking to add diverse reads to their collection should consider Vanilla a must-have.

The Shadows We Know by Heart

Posted on by

The Shadows We Know by Heart is the story of a teenage girl, Leah, whose life has never been the same since the death of her brother ten years earlier. Her mother self medicates with alcohol, and her father is bitter with anger. And Leah has a secret she can’t tell, which is Sasquatches (Big Foot) are real, and she there are three of them living in the woods behind her.
Things take a dramatic turn when Leah discovers that a teenage boy lives among the Sasquatches. The boy seems to have no memory of his past and can barely speak, but Leah is mesmerized by him. As the plot unfolds, Leah’s life entwines with his, and she now has an escape from her miserable reality.

This mystery provides a modern day retelling of the Tarzan story,  plot twists and turns, realistic family dynamics, and romance.  What a great book!

 

 

The Secret Diary of Lydia Bennet

Posted on by

The Secret Diary of Lydia Bennet  is a retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. It is written in diary form from Lydia Bennet’s perspective. The author, Natasha Farrant, assumes that the reader has a good working knowledge of the plot of Pride and Prejudice; without that background, this novel won’t have the same effect on the reader.

 

Here is the preface page: Hertfordshire, 1811 but really decades behind the modern world because we are in the depths of the English countryside and nothing ever happens.

The opening page: Thursday, 13th June:  I am fifteen years old today, and this journal was a present from Mary. She says I must write in it everyday to improve my mind.

“Whatever for,” Mamma cried, “When she is so pretty?”

Father asked, “Are we certain Lydia HAS a mind?”

“Of course she does!” Mary said. “It’s just not very developed.” 

“Excuse me!” I tried to look down my nose at her, which was not easy because I was sitting and she was standing. “Right now, my undeveloped mind thinks you are extremely rude.”

And so it continues. Funny, feisty, enjoyable. This fresh twist on a classic story will surely appeal to fans of Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice.

Almost Autumn

Posted on by

Almost Autumn is set in the snow covered streets of Oslo, Norway, in October 1942. a 15 yr. old Jewish girl, Ilse Stern is waiting to meet Hermann Rod, the boy-next-door who she’s had a crush on forever, to go on their first date.  But Hermann can’t make it. Ilse is completely unaware that Hermann is secretly working for the Resistance, helping Jews flee Norway to escape the Nazis.  Hermann tell lies to everyone he cares about: his parents, his boss, and to Ilse, to keep his secret hidden.

This story is tense with pressure building as  life under the German occupation becomes  more difficult, particularly for Jewish families like Ilse’s. The mood of secrecy, uncertainty, and fear in World War II Norway creates a moving story of sorrow, chance, and first love.

Almost Autumn won numerous awards in Norway when it was released there. Now an English translation is available, and I would recommend it to those interested in the Holocaust and the Resistance, as well as historical romance fiction.

Confessions of a High School Disaster

Posted on by

Confessions of a High School Disaster is the humorous story of  Chloe Snow, a high school freshman told from pages of her diary.

It is reminiscent of Bridget Jones’s Diary,  although Chloe is only 14. Chloe makes many bad choices, including drinking alcohol at parties, and being tempted to engage in sexual activities with older boys. She can also be mean to her friends.

Below is one of her entries that will give the reader a snapshot of her life:
I’m Chloe Snow, and my life is kiiiiind of a disaster.

1. I’m a kissing virgin (so so so embarrassing).
2. My best friend, Hannah, is driving me insane.
3. I think I’m in love with Mac Brody, senior football star, whose girlfriend is so beautiful she doesn’t even need eyeliner.
4. My dad won’t stop asking me if I’m okay.
5. Oh, and my mom moved to Mexico to work on her novel. But it’s fine—she’ll be back soon. She said so.

Mom says the only thing sadder than remembering is forgetting, so I’m going to write down everything that happens to me in this diary. That way, even when I’m ninety, I’ll remember how awkward and horrible and exciting it is to be in high school.

This book will appeal to teen readers who enjoy lighter reads, teen angst, and humor.

Mind Games (Lock & Mori # 2)

Posted on by

Mind Games is book two of the Lock & Mori series, and it is anticipated that a third book will soon be published. For those unfamiliar with Lock & Mori, this is a modern day adaptation of the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Professor James Moriarty, although in these stories, Mori is a teenaged girl.

In Lock & Mori we see Mori’s father tried and convicted as a serial killer, and Mori and her brothers rescued from a domestic violence situation. Mind Games picks up two weeks after the father’s arrest. But even though her father is in prison, Mori doesn’t feel safe. Letters of a threatening nature are arriving, and police are receiving anonymous tips that lead them to believe that it is Mori, not her father, who has committed the murders.  Lock sticks by Mori and together they search for who is framing her.

This is an action packed mystery that can be read as a stand alone, although the enjoyment is enhanced by having read the first book.

Hurricane Kiss

Posted on by

Hurricane Kiss is flying off the shelf and has a list of “holds” awaiting its return. The steamy black and white cover may be the initial draw, but the story itself keeps the teens reading through to the end.

The story involves a teenaged girl, Jillian, and her neighbors, who are confined in the car for a long road trip as they try to get away from an incoming hurricane. One of the neighbors is River, the former starting quarterback of Jillian’s high school. There is a backstory for River: while once headed to fame for his football prowess, he disappeared, serving time in a juvenile detention center. Now that he’s out, he’s quiet with a chip on his shoulder.

As the effort to flee to storm gridlocks in traffic, River takes action to find shelter, and he and Jillian find themselves inside their empty high school. Their time alone, where they wait for the storm to pass, allows them to look back at the past, and reconcile how to move forward.

The storyline is exciting and nerve wracking, with themes of teen angst, romance, and survival.

Stay With Me

Posted on by

Stay With Me in the companion novel to Come Back to Me, and is written by Mila Gray, which is the pseudonym of young adult author Sarah Alderson (Fated series: Fated, Severed, Shadowed) that she is using for her more adult-themed works. Stay With Me definitely is more of an adult themed novel, as it is a steamy, slow-burn romance between Noel, a wounded Marine, and Didi, a young psychology intern at a military hospital.

The story is also a love triangle, as Didi has a boyfriend, Zac, who is working out of town for the summer. Until Didi started her psychology internship where she meets Noel, she thought that Zac was the man for her.  But sparks fly when Didi begins working with Noel, and their forbidden romance grabs the readers and will not let go.

The novel is filled with issues of PTSD, the struggles of wounded warriors and their families, the complications of prior romantic commitments (Zac and Didi), and the ethical ramifications of medical provider / patient romantic relations (Didi and Noel).

This steamy romance is a page turner best suited for juniors, seniors and college students.

Lucky Few

Posted on by

Stevie Hart describes herself as a normal-type.  This is one of four categories she has created to describe students who are homeschooled.  Her best friend, Sanger, is a normal-type also.  Enter Max, the new neighbor kid who is obsessed with cheating death.  Together this trio embark on a challenge to defy death 23 times. On her own, Stevie is involved with the political action efforts to save her favorite place, Barton Springs. What starts out as a way to pass time with friends – old and new – turns into a journey of self-discovery.

The story moves from one death cheat to another, yet in the background our characters are learning how to cope with change – sometimes with grace and other time with the elegance of a toddler tantruming. In the periphery, the cast of characters deal with pressures of academic success, discrimination, Christian values, political activism, and abandonment to name a few.

Note that Stevie and Sanger are homeschooled, yet they go to classes taught by teaching staff at  non-home school locations and the homeschool co-op has a sports team. Part of the controversy in a side plot has to do with the homeschool co-op board requesting that Sanger leave the co-op because her parents are lesbians. This friction propels the plot and is an undercurrent of the development of the main character, Stevie, who questions these decisions by adults in authority and determines her own moral compass.