Tag Archives: teen angst

This Raging Light

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This Raging Light tells the hard luck story of a 17 year old girl who has to care for her sister after terrible family dynamics occur: her dad loses his mind, and her mom abandons the girls. Lucille gets a job in a sketchy (Hooters’ style) restaurant to pay the bills, but struggles as a teenager to make enough money to support her sister and herself and to run the household.

Adding to her worries are her best friend, a character that is hard to like due to her meanness to Lucille. And, complicating things even more, Lucille falls for her best friend’s twin brother. He, also, is difficult to like, as he already has a girlfriend, yet he cheats on her with Lucille, and cheats on Lucille with the girlfriend. The two-timing boyfriend and the mean best friend, compounded by too many confusing plot turns, make this a difficult book to finish.  Too much drama.

 

 

 

 

 

Confessions of a High School Disaster

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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.

In-Between Days

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In-between Days, by Australian young adult author Vikki Wakefield, gives a real look into the lives of people in a small, rural town. Known for its “Suicide Forest”, Mobius feels like a dead-end town, and Jacklin, a 17 year old girl, feels trapped there. Jack’s life is filled with sibling conflict, an overbearing mother, a dad who has left the family,  a miserable job, and a tumultuous relationship with her boyfriend, who breaks her heart.

Jack struggles to truly find herself after losing everything.   She makes a new friends in a man named Pope, a wanderer camping in the woods behind her house, and begins a new relationship with Jeremiah, the boy next door.  Jack’s internal struggle between sexual desire and true intimacy puts this book right on the edge of adult fiction. Readers who likes books with female main characters, teen angst, family conflict, and other realities of  life will enjoy this book.