The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

With the movie coming out I decided to give this book a go and see if the movie will be worth it. It's the story of a fourteen year old girl (Susie Salmon) who is raped and murdered. We start off with the murder then the story is Susie watching down from her heaven at her family and those around them. Watching them mourn and move on with their lives, while she comes to terms with her own murder. The book makes you question if that neighbor who you think is weird, is actually a killer. I found the book good, yet I probably would not read it again.

Queen of Babble in the Big City - Meg Cabot

Lizzie is back! She is now following her dream in the Big Apple. Shes still with Luke but will it last? Meg Cabot follows her usual style so if you like her books you will love this one. It is a good follow up to the original Queen of Babble book, Lizzie Faces new challenges with her work and home life but again she doesn't give up. However it gives me a slight feeling of deja vu. Have you read the shopaholic series? This feels to me to be a mix of those and Kinsellas other book can you keep a secret. But hey! I liked those books too and this is original enough that it isn't like reading the same thing. I would definitely recommend this book to the girls.

Seventh Avenue Murder - Liza Bennett

This is a classic murder mystery, and although it came out in 1990 it is still good and you can still relate. Its main character Peg finds herself smack dab in the middle of a murder mystery. She was with Berry the night she supposedly "killed herself" so she knows that Berry never would have do so, despite what the police are saying. So, Peg must find out who killed her friend. With an inside look at the few who could have killed her, Peg has an upper hand over the police, but still you are left guessing right up until the end. I found this book good, but it was rather slow up until maybe the 3rd to last chapter, I admit I left it for about two months to read better things. But the ending was unexpected and the end was good.

Deadline-Chris Crutcher

This book was amazing. I found the book very hard to get into , as it just seemed like a boring teenager's life before he dies. However, as the book progressed I started to become more absorbed into the book. I wanted to know all about Ben's life. Chris Crutcher turns a simple book into a plot filled book full of many themes and the issues of adolescence. I would recommend this book to boys and girls. I also loved the the use of humour in his book. I learned that it is important to live in the moment and give it your all; sometimes we have to savour the truth to enjoy life!

Before We Say Goodbye

In Before We Say Goodbye an adult woman who is greiving the loss of her dead mother is given an envelope from her mother containing one thing; the address of her first love, the man her mother would never let her have. In shock, she travels to his home, planning only to stay the weekend. Two days becomes four and four becomes a summer. As time goes on, she doesn't know what is going on, can she stay with him and his daughter or should she go back to her husband, two sons, and her life. This heart-wrenching story about a woman finding out who her mother, and more importantly, who she is will glue your eyes to the page until you finish. This fiction book is so well written, you could believe that it was true.

I give it 4.5/5

Dark Dude

by Oscar Hijuelos

"How Do You Escape Yourself?"

Harlem New York, Rico Fuentes struggles to find a happy medium between his neighborhood bullies, rundown school with frequent shootings, and his parents that blame him for their own unhappiness. A threat by his father to send him to military school, makes him realize he needs a plan to get out. He runs with his best friend toward Wisconsin in hope a fresh start, help his friend kick his heroin addiction, and maybe fine away to forget about the past. After nearly a Year of making his life work out, and outhouse duty he finds somethings can't be left behind, and makes a decision that may change his life forever.

An Excellent book for those looking for a simplistic read.

"A journey toward self-discovery"
~ Ellen Hopkins.

The Hour I First Believed

The Hour I First Believed is a moving novel about Caelum Quirk and his wife Maureen as they try to revive their marriage after Maureen's affair with one of her co-workers. A high school English teacher, Caelum and his wife both work at Columbine High School during April 1999. However, a death in his family calls Caelum back to his hometwon of Three Rivers and pulls him into thoughts of the family of which he is now the last. During his absence from Columbine, the school shooting occurs and Maureen finds herself hiding in the break room as she hears the explosions and gun shots go off near-by. Maureen tramautized convinces Caelum to move back to Three Rivers, Conneticut as she readapts to to life and her fears. They move back to his family farm hoping for a new start but find the trauma follows them even there as they battle to begin a new life. Maureen traumitized and Caelum wrapped up in his family history, will they ever be able to find peace in their lives again?



The story is both moving and uplifting as Caelum and Maureen struggle to refind themselves and find a routine to deal with their seperate and personal issues. Thy novel explores the outes they take to recovery and will pull the reader deep into its tale. I highly recommend this book. =D