Fiction Books

Identical

Ellen Hopkins

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 41 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Beware the Broken Mirror 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

PLEASE NOTE WELL: The five stars are for the author's clearly-manifested writing ability and the reader's thespian talent . They are not an indication of the suitability of this book for a particular young adult (or mature one, for that matter).

Children and young adults are supposed to be exposed to "window books" and "mirror books" to help them become more insightful, better educated human beings. "Identical" is not the sort of window one would wish on another lightly. It goes without saying that incestuous, drug-dependent psychological confusion torments a percentage of families in these United States. If this is a world-expanding insight one wants one's unaffected child to experience vicariously, "Identical" is a brutally-poetic window for fostering it. However, for a specific child in an unfortunate situation, "Identical" might be a lifeline...a profoundly-catalytic mirror. This child will meet Gretta who will tell her/him: "Never accept evil as something you must walk with...something you deserve somehow." In this case, one can only hope/pray that one or more competent, caring, and trustworthy adults are available to help the child begin sorting it out.

Ellen Hopkins does a splendid job using terse, poetic phrases to convey her characters' confused emotions as they face their tangled, interconnected webs of recursive obsession and guilt that are cast in and around their fine home unadorned with family photos. Likewise, Laura Flanagan gives "Identical" a first-rate reading...highlighting the characters' thoughts and feelings in artfully-subtle ways.

Make no mistake about it, this is not an easy book. There was a time, not long ago, when prose such as this would have been labeled "pornographic". What's the difference between then and now? The tone of our times and the author's intention. Nevertheless, for many, this will not be an appropriate book. It is, undeniably, a well-crafted book with some important, uncomfortable themes. Buyer be aware.

Editorial Review:

Do twins begin in the womb?
Or in a better place?

Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical down to the dimple. As daughters of a district-court judge father and a politician mother, they are an all-American family -- on the surface. Behind the facade each sister has her own dark secret, and that's where their differences begin.

For Kaeleigh, she's the misplaced focus of Daddy's love, intended for a mother whose presence on the campaign trail means absence at home. All that Raeanne sees is Daddy playing a game of favorites -- and she is losing. If she has to lose, she will do it on her own terms, so she chooses drugs, alcohol, and sex.

Secrets like the ones the twins are harboring are not meant to be kept -- from each other or anyone else. Pretty soon it's obvious that neither sister can handle it alone, and one sister must step up to save the other, but the question is -- who?

Crank

Ellen Hopkins

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 108 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Ellen Hopkins's semi-autobiographical verse novel, Crank, reads like a Go Ask Alice for the 21st century. In it, she chronicles the turbulent and often disturbing relationship between Kristina, a character based on her own daughter, and the "monster," the highly addictive drug crystal meth, or "crank." Kristina is introduced to the drug while visiting her largely absent and ne'er-do-well father. While under the influence of the monster, Kristina discovers her sexy alter-ego, Bree: "there is no perfect daughter, / no gifted high school junior, / no Kristina Georgia Snow. / There is only Bree." Bree will do all the things good girl Kristina won't, including attracting the attention of dangerous boys who can provide her with a steady flow of crank. Soon, her grades plummet, her relationships with family and friends deteriorate, and she needs more and more of the monster just to get through the day. Kristina hits her lowest point when she is raped by one of her drug dealers and becomes pregnant as a result. Her decision to keep the baby slows her drug use, but doesn't stop it, and the author leaves the reader with the distinct impression that Kristina/Bree may never be free from her addiction. In the author's note, Hopkins warns "nothing in this story is impossible," but when Kristina's controlled, high-powered mother allows her teenage daughter to visit her biological father (a nearly homeless known drug user), the story feels unbelievable. Still, the descriptions of crystal meth use and its consequences are powerful, and will horrify and transfix older teenage readers, just as Alice did over 20 years ago. --Jennifer Hubert

Glass

Ellen Hopkins

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Emotionally Touching 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The sequel to the popular novel "Crank" definetly strikes your heart. I found myself constantly doing things that books normally do not make me do. For instance I found myself yelling at the characters and raging on about what was and wasn't fair. The characters hit me with full force and now I'm more attached to them than ever.

All though "Glass" can be quite depressing it truly unleashes the truth about the drug meth or as Kristina/Bree calls it - the monster. This monster comes in different forms but the outcome is always the same - it will ruin you.

Something to note is that all of Ellen Hopkin's novels are written in poetry format. I was very surprised after reading her first book at how talented she is. The format is original and even though there aren't as many words as a normal book, it still puts a lot of things into those few words.

Kristina used to be a good girl - used to have real friends - until she met the monster. In this second book crank/glass/the monster has officially taken over her life. While trying to raise her baby boy, Hunter while dealing with her deadly drug addiction, life is rough as ever. Soon even a loving family and friends becomes scarce. But of course do you really need a friend while you're having such a blast with glass? Bree says no but Kristina says yes.

Bree is the part of Kristina that's wild, wreckless, and not well. Kristina is the side that is good, has common sense, wants to stop. Will this girl do what's right or will her bad decisions lead her into even more trouble?

Editorial Review:

Crank. Glass. Ice. Crystal. Whatever you call it, it's all the same: a monster. And once it's got hold of you, this monster will never let you go.

Kristina thinks she can control it. Now with a baby to care for, she's determined to be the one deciding when and how much, the one calling the shots. But the monster is too strong, and before she knows it, Kristina is back in its grips. She needs the monster to keep going, to face the pressures of day-to-day life. She needs it to feel alive.

Once again the monster takes over Kristina's life and she will do anything for it, including giving up the one person who gives her the unconditional love she craves -- her baby.

The sequel to Crank, this is the continuing story of Kristina and her descent back to hell. Told in verse, it's a harrowing and disturbing look at addiction and the damage that it inflicts.

Go Ask Alice

Anonymous

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1250 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

we get it already... 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.

There seem to be a lot of reviews written for this book bashing it. We get it...you're angry that this is a work of fiction and isn't, in all actuality, a true, bona fide account. Unfortunately for you, you will find that most books contain fiction.

Yes the book says that teenagers shouldn't do drugs or get pregnant. I see nothing wrong with this message (although I will admit that the author could have gone about it in a different way). Yes, the book seems to fit all drug addict stereotypes, and yes it insinuates that LSD and marijuana can be addicting. NEWSFLASH! They are called stereotypes because a large amount of people FIT INTO THEM...and although drugs such as LSD and marijuana aren't physically addicting, they are mentally addicting.

Overall, this book is a good read and sends a sensible (if somewhat cookie-cutter, brainwashy) message.

P.S. Just because books aren't "literary classics" doesn't mean that they aren't good books. Maybe some people should be glad that people are reading anything at all, or even writing anything at all, rather than gripe about WHAT is being read or written...

Editorial Review:

The torture and hell of adolescence has rarely been captured as clearly as it is in this classic diary by an anonymous, addicted teen. Lonely, awkward, and under extreme pressure from her "perfect" parents, "Anonymous" swings madly between optimism and despair. When one of her new friends spikes her drink with LSD, this diarist begins a frightening journey into darkness. The drugs take the edge off her loneliness and self-hate, but they also turn her life into a nightmare of exalting highs and excruciating lows. Although there is still some question as to whether this diary is real or fictional, there is no question that it has made a profound impact on millions of readers during the more than 25 years it has been in print. Despite a few dated references to hippies and some expired slang, Go Ask Alice still offers a jolting chronicle of a teenager's life spinning out of control.

Ink Exchange

Melissa Marr

Amazon Price: $11.55 List Price: $16.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperCollins Amazon Marketplace: 49 new & used starting at $7.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 42 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Much better than Wicked Lovely 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I enjoyed Wicked Lovely, but it wasn't the best book I have ever read.
While I loved Seth and Aislynn, I had a difficult time liking Keenan. Aside from his looks, there was nothing appealing about him. He was rather flat, as was the story, in my opinion. However, I chose to give Ink Exchange a chance, and I am so glad that I did.
I loved this story. My heart went out to all of the characters, especially Irial. He is written so well, that you find yourself falling in love with him despite the fact that his actions are at times, truly evil. I was touched by his humanity so to speak, as well as his selflessness towards Leslie. Leslie is an especially heartbreaking character. And while she is flawed, I felt that she demonstrated true strength.
While many may shy away from dark and dreary plot lines, I found the read rather beautiful in its rawness. And while the ending was heartbreaking, I felt content with its conclusion.
So, if you enjoyed Wicked Lovely, you should definitely read Ink Exchange and even if you didn't, give it a try. It's delicious.

Editorial Review:

Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.

Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.

The tattoo does bring changes—not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils. . . .

Gossip Girl Boxed Set

Cecily von Ziegesar

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A delicious series that will definitely give you something to talk about! 5 out of 5 stars.
14 of 15 people found this review helpful.

The Upper East Side used to be overrun with plastic surgery happy society women, and spoiled tots torturing their high-priced nannies. But times have changed. While these people still occupy a small portion of the sidewalks, they have been pushed aside for a new generation of beautiful people. Teenagers brought up in the lap of luxury, who spend their days buying overpriced La Perla undergarments at Barney's, and indulging in frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity. But spending money isn't all that's on their mind. There's always...gossip.

GOSSIP GIRL: Ever since the flawless Serena van der Woodsen departed from New York City to take up residence at a boarding school in Connecticut, sixteen-year-old Blair Waldorf has ruled Constance Billard School for Girls. As the daughter of a prominent lawyer turned gay, Blair has always gotten her way. And, with Serena out of the picture, was able to snag the gorgeous, green-eyed Nate Archibald for herself. Unfortunately, as much as Blair would like to deny it, Nate has always had a thing for Serena. A secret passion for the blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty. And now with Serena back in the picture, Blair doesn't know where their relationship will stand. So she has to take drastic measures...hand Nate her V card and he'll be hers forever. The only problem is that Nate is a stoner who has a very short attention span, and even sacrificing herself to Nate won't let him forget the passion he feels for Serena.

But he's not the only one. Dan Humphrey isn't your typical rich kid. For one, while he attends school with some of New York City's most privileged, he actually resides in an apartment on the Upper West Side with his chesty younger sister, Jenny, and his eccentric writer father, Rufus. Dan is a dark, brooding poet, whose penchant for cigarettes and Folgers coffee crystals leave much to be desired. But, like Nate, Dan is infatuated with Serena. The only difference is that he has never so much as spoken to her before, and she doesn't know he exists. Now that Serena's off the A-List, and treading outcast waters, however, the only thing he can hope is that she'll find her way to him and they can live happily ever after. In his dreams, of course. 5 stars.


YOU KNOW YOU LOVE ME: Everyone is in the midst of applying to Ivy League Colleges, but Blair Waldorf is planning a little something extra...her seventeenth birthday. Unfortunately, her mother has sprung a big announcement - she's getting married to Cyrus Rose, and the wedding will take place on Blair's birthday. So much for special days. Then there's Serena, who is being constantly pursued by Dan, a disturbed poet with intense affections. Sure, Serena is used to being pursued by guys of all ages, but Dan is slightly creepy with his morbid poetry. Of course, Serena is a girl, and what girl doesn't love having poems being written about her.
Although these teens are rich, obviously money can't buy you everything. At least it can't buy Blair Waldorf everything. For Blair's seventeenth birthday bash is coming up, and she knows that the only thing that she can possibly wish for is Nate Archibald, her troubled, yet gorgeous, boyfriend, of course. But little does she know that while she's sending out college applications, Nate is fooling around with Jenny Humphrey, a ninth-grader! Looks like Blair's birthday is destined to be a blowout of epic proportions. 5 stars.


ALL I WANT IS EVERYTHING:
Blair Waldorf is having the worst time of her life. She has just completely flubbed her Yale interview, even going so far as to kiss her interviewer; she must contend with a dreadlock-bearing new stepbrother named Aaron, who seems to have some ulterior motives up his sleeve; her mother is marrying a loser whom she has known for hardly no time at all; and, to top it all off, Nate has ditched her for a chesty ten-year-old - well, she looks ten. Luckily, she and Serena van der Woodsen are back on speaking terms, and living it up as BFF's once more. But who knows how long that will last.

The holidays are just around the corner, and with the Upper East Side absolutely freezing, everyone who's loaded is planning on ditching their Marc Jacobs coats, and slipping into their Missoni string bikinis for a Christmas in a tropical place. With Nate Archibald having called it quits with Blair in order to take up a romance with freshman Jenny Humphrey, Blair is anything but ready to say goodbye to the city, and head off to St. Bart's with Serena, where they can sunbathe topless, and, perhaps, have a winter fling. Unfortunately, Serena is being stalked by Flow, the hottest rock star on the planet - at least at the moment - and can't seem to shake him off, and Blair, armed with her iBook plans on holing up in the hotel room writing the essay for her Yale application. Looks like this vacation won't be as sizzling as originally planned. But with Blair's new stepbrother, Aaron, and his pal Miles in tow, you never know when the sparks will fly.

Back in the city, Nate and Jenny are having the time of their life. But with Blair's sudden appearances at every turn, Nate finds himself more and more drawn to the girl he has known and loved for so many years. But then there's Jenny. Sweet, innocent, voluptuous Jenny. Maybe if Nate spent less time being baked, and more time being straight, he'd be able to decide who he's truly lusting over.

Then there's Jenny's older brother, Dan. Since admitting their passion for one another, Dan and Vanessa have been having a whirlwind romance - albeit a dark one - filled with foreign films, cigarettes, strong instant coffee, and lots and lots of black. But since falling in love, Dan finds himself at a standstill regarding his poetry. Suddenly, he's experiencing writer's block firsthand, and it's not a pretty picture. But when Vanessa supposedly does something that betrays both him and Jenny, he wonders if this is the push he needs to get his writing back on track - and to get even. 5 stars.

Let's put it bluntly, Cecily von Ziegesar is a genius. She has taken the simple subject of rich, spoiled, troublemaking teens, and managed to produce a series that is both irresistible and infuriating. Each of the characters bring a sense of upper class to the table, along with a bit of scandal, and, dare I say it, trashiness. They have created a virtual playground of the Upper East Side, and dominate every hotel, club, or bar from Manhattan to Williamsburg. But they're oh so delicious. Serena is carefree and easygoing, however, she possesses a selfless and tragic air that makes her irresistible. Blair, on the other hand, is stuck-up and pretentious, but she knows how to let her hair down. Unfortunately, she usually lets her hair down at approximately the same time that her claws come out. Nate is a bad boy in good boy's clothing. His gorgeous looks make up for the fact that he has little between the ears due to how much of his time he spends high. Jenny and her older brother, Dan, on the other hand, are artistes who add a sweet touch to the series; and Vanessa manages to turn heads by brandishing her bald one. Each character converges together to weave an amazing story that leaves you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. A delicious series that will definitely give you something to talk about!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Tears Of A Tiger

Sharon M. Draper

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Simon Pulse Amazon Marketplace: 78 new & used starting at $0.70

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 279 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

One bad decision, two lives lost!!! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

My name is Jazmin and I am a freshman in high school. I had to pick a book for an English project. A friend of mine read Tears of a Tiger and said it had some good life lessons in it. Even though this book is fictional it is a very good book to read for kids my age because it shows how one bad decision can change lives.
In this book the main setting is Hazelwood High School. The main character is Andy. Andy made a bad decision one night and decided to drink and drive with his buddies in the car. Well they got into a crash and Robbie lost his life. Now while the others moved on, Andy couldn't cope with the death of Robbie and the book detailed Andy's conflict. Some of Andy's internal conflict made him act out in class, his grades started slipping, he lost his girlfriend, he missed school a lot, wasn't socializing with his friends, and continued to have bad dreams about the crash and Robbie.
Throughout the book Andy's friends and family tried to help him deal with his emotions. He even went to a counselor. His girlfriend Keisha always took him places to get his mind off things, but something always triggered his memories and he would become depressed again. It all became too much for Keisha and she broke up with Andy. Andy thought the only way to resolve his conflict was to kill himself. That is exactly what Andy did.
After Andy's death kids at school not only had to deal with one of there fellow classmates dying that year, but yet another. Most of his close friends wrote him letters asking questions like, "Why did you do it?", "Why didn't you ask for help?", and "What affect his death would have on his brother's life?"
After reading this book I have a greater understanding of how important life really is. This book taught me that life is so fragile; it can end in any moment. I also learned no matter how tough life gets for a person that ending your life is never the answer. Even though the troubled person's pain is gone, the people left behind are left wondering and suffering. The book also reminded me of how we are all one bad decision away from our lives being changed forever.

Editorial Review:

In one horrifying night,

Andy's life changed forever...

Andy Jackson was driving the car that crashed one night after a game, killing Robert Washington, his best friend and the captain of the Hazelwood High Tigers. It was late, and they'd been drinking, and now, months later, Andy can't stop blaming himself. As he turns away from family, friends, and even his girlfriend, he finds he's losing the most precious thing of all -- his ability to face the future.

Gossip Girl #1: A Novel (Gossip Girl Series)

Cecily Von Ziegesar

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 321 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Too immature for older readers, too gossipy for young readers 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I love the television show and got this book to see how it compared, suffering the embarrassment of being a 19-year-old in the Young Adult section. "Gossip Girl" can be fairly enjoyable at times, but I'm not quite sure what audience it's catered to. I finished the book in about an hour and a half- the reading is a bit oversimplified. The characters are interesting enough, but one-dimensional. All of this is expected for the young teenage book set. But other parts of the book are troubling. It doesn't bother me that the characters do drugs and have casual sex- I've been reading books about all that for years. The problem is that they suffer absolutely no consequences for their actions- no STDs, no arrests, no angry parents. The characters are still seen as people to look up to and people who get good grades. Sure, in the book the characters deal with some problems, but nothing like they would in real life. If you're a mature teen who enjoys semi-trashy chick lit, then "Gossip Girl" will do the trick. Otherwise, stay away. Maybe try the TV show instead.

Editorial Review:

lder teens and adult readers can't get enough of Gossip Girl, the anonymous narrator who made her catty debut in the bestselling Gossip Girl and titillated readers in the juicy sequel, You Know You Love Me. Now in All I Want Is Everything, readers will love her even more as Gossip Girl dishes up dose after hefty dose of dirt on all her friends-New York's wealthiest private school teens. Sharp wit, intriguing characters, and high-stakes melodrama drive the action of this wildly popular new series.

Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie

Holly Black

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 69 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Don't Bother!! 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book and the two others in the series because it was in the Young Adult section and usually that means that the books are good and mostly clean (no overt sex or foul language). These books are YUCKY!!!!! I could not read them! The "F" word was used constantly. The mother had sex with her teen daughter's boyfriend. It went on and on! What good is a faery-tale if you can't get past the filth?! Don't waste money on these books. I wouldn't read them if they were free.

Editorial Review:

When seventeen-year-old Valerie runs away to New York City, she's trying to escape a life that has utterly betrayed her. Sporting a new identity, she takes up with a gang of squatters who live in the city's labyrinthine subway system.

But there's something eerily beguiling about Val's new friends. And when one talks Val into tracking down the lair of a mysterious creature with whom they are all involved, Val finds herself torn between her newfound affection for an honorable monster and her fear of what her new friends are becoming.

The Higher Power of Lucky

Susan Patron

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 74 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

5th Grade Teacher's Class loved this book 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I am a 5th grade teacher who has read this book to two classes. I am of the opinion that 5th graders in this age are very aware of their anatomy and understand the primary differences between boys and girls. Each time I read the book, I had a boy ask me what a scrotum is. I explained using correct facts and got a few chuckles but mostly nods of understanding from my class. Children need to know the correct names of their parts and there is nothing worng with this word being presented at this age. I can tell you each boy in my class new a slang name not to my surprise.
I also had a boy thank me for reading the "real" words. He told me he thought I was respectful because I knew they were mature enough to hear the whole story.

More importantly, my kids loved this story because the character development is excellent. 23 out of 26 chose it as their favorite book of the year. My class fell in love with these characters. As they worte their own stories after this book, most did a much better job developing their own characters because they saw the importance of good characters in this story. It is time to quit short changing and sheltering our children by reading literature that engages them like the Higher Power of Lucky.

What is the Higher Power of Lucky. I will not share but my students had the most engaging opinion supported conversation I have ever heard 5th graders have after this story was completed.

Editorial Review:

Lucky, age ten, can't wait another day. The meanness gland in her heart and the crevices full of questions in her brain make running away from Hard Pan, California (population 43), the rock-bottom only choice she has.

It's all Brigitte's fault -- for wanting to go back to France. Guardians are supposed to stay put and look after girls in their care! Instead Lucky is sure that she'll be abandoned to some orphanage in Los Angeles where her beloved dog, HMS Beagle, won't be allowed. She'll have to lose her friends Miles, who lives on cookies, and Lincoln, future U.S. president (maybe) and member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers. Just as bad, she'll have to give up eavesdropping on twelve-step anonymous programs where the interesting talk is all about Higher Powers. Lucky needs her own -- and quick.

But she hadn't planned on a dust storm.

Or needing to lug the world's heaviest survival-kit backpack into the desert.