The Murmurings by Carly Anne West

Difficulty level (easiest to hardest) - 7

Emotional level (least to most) - 9

Action (little to a lot) - 4

In this book, Sophie is trying to find answers about her sister's suicide. Along with her new found friend Evan, Sophie makes unsettling discoveries. They learn that Oakside Mental Institution might not be what it appears...

I really liked the idea and plot in the book It's not like any book I've read before. However, I wish there had been more action. There were several lulls and boring parts in the story.

I would recommend this book to someone who likes mystery books. They also need to be able to handle dark and emotional context. I have never read a book like this before.

Overall rating (poor to excellent) - 7

Written by Sara

Quote from the novel:

"Best not to get used to that," I tell myself. It's not a good thing to start missing the company of your own imagination.

Clean by Amy Reed

Difficulty level (easiest to hardest) - 2

Emotional level (least to most) - 3

Action (little to a lot) - 1.5

Clean is a novel about a handful of misfit teens who spend a month in an adolescent drug rehabilitation center. The novel is written from the perspective of their diary entries and answers to drug use/abuse questionnaires. I liked the novel somewhat, but found that it was lacking in depth. I would have thought that a 300+ page novel could have gone into further depth of the individual characters. Maybe the author bit off more than she could chew with developing so many characters (I can think of 5 characters which needed to be developed more). 

I thought that Amy Reed did a satisfactory job of explaining how drug use/abuse affects individuals and families, and I thought that this was a better novel than How I Made it to Eighteen, but less descriptive than A Million Little Pieces. 

I would recommend this book to someone who wanted to read about drug use/abuse from a rehab perspective, but didn't want to get into the characters' heads. 

Overall rating (poor to excellent) - 3

Quotes from the novel:

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Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan

Difficulty level (easiest to hardest) - 2

Emotional level (least to most) - 1

Action (little to a lot) - 2.5

Killing Mr. Griffin is written by the author of I Know What You Did Last Summer, and reads just like the movie. I was disappointed to see the other book mentioned on the cover, because then I would not have read Killing Mr. Griffin like I was watching IKWYDLS.

The plot is simple: a group of teenagers try to get revenge on a teacher they don't like, so they decide to "scare" their Literature teacher into going easier on them prior to graduating so they aren't held back. And just like the title says, things start going wrong.

I appreciated that the book didn't slow down and obsess over details. At approximately the halfway point, I got really into the book, and couldn't put it down. Duncan did a very good job with wrapping the book up, and tying all of the loose ends.

I would recommend this book to someone who is looking for a book full of action or a psychological thriller, but not necessarily with bodies dropping dead everywhere.

Overall rating (poor to excellent) - 3

Quotes from the novel:

“She heard her voice speaking the word, and her heart rose suddenly into her throat. Had she really said it? Had she actually agreed to this insanity?” 

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Difficulty level (easiest to hardest) - 4

Emotional level (least to most) - 3

Action (little to a lot) - 3

Previously, I had read The Fault in Our Stars, a more "well known" book written by John Green. When I read it, I really appreciated his writing style. I decided to read An Abundance of Katherines because the reviews on Amazon declared it "better than the Stars novel". 

The story of An Abundance of Katherines goes like this: a former child prodigy (Colin Singleton) spends his life dating girls by the name of Katherine, and it all ends with K19. Of course he never started dating girls by the name of Katherine on purpose, but once he noticed the pattern, those 9 little letters started sounding particularly attractive whenever he heard them. When K19 breaks up with him, he has something similar to a mental breakdown and finds himself trying to cope with it for the rest of the novel, trying to forget K19, or at least figure out why she dumped him.

I really appreciated Green's writing style in this book, like his other book. However, the math did stump me a bit. I remember graphing equations in pre-calculus, but my eyes glazed over whenever I got to a math part of the book (don't worry, you don't need to understand the math to understand the book - but if you do, there is an appendix at the back of the novel). I particularly enjoyed all off the footnotes in the book. Whenever Colin says something particularly interesting, or some kind of trivia, Green usually inserts a footnote to explain it further, and usually it's quite humorous.

If you're thinking about reading The Fault in Our Stars, or another book by John Green, or if you're a fan of his already, I would suggest checking out An Abundance of Katherines. This book is humorous, enjoyable, and you probably won't want to put it down. Another reason to read it? It's being made into a movie, no release dates yet. However, filming for The Fault in Our Stars starts August 27, 2013.

Overall rating (poor to excellent) - 9.5

Quotes from the novel:

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Tweaked by Katherine Holubitsky

Difficulty level (easiest to hardest) - 1

Emotional level (least to most) - 2
TRIGGERS: Violence, substance abuse, drugs

Action (little to a lot) - 4

Tweaked is a fictitious novel published by Orca Book Publishers. I point out the publisher because I personally try to make a point of not purchasing Orca books. I picked up Tweaked because of the book description: "Sixteen-year-old Gordie Jessup is a good kid but he's living a nightmare. His eighteen-year-old brother Chase's two-year addiction to crystal meth has left their family emotionally and financially drained. And just when Gordie thinks he can no longer stand the manipulating, the lying and the stealing, things get even worse. Chase is arrested for aggravated assault, released on bail and sent home to his family. But his dealers are after him and Chase appeals to Gordie for help. Gordie, disgusted with his brother and fully aware that it's a gamble, risks everything he has in the hope of bringing his family some peace." - Amazon.ca

I am not a fan of Orca books because 1) they publish the reading level on the back cover (which is handy for some teachers, but when students know about reading levels, they usually try to stay away from those books to not be labelled); 2) the writing becomes strained and the pleasure of reading the book to hear the author's voice is lost (I attribute this to reading levels); and 3) the book simply tells a story, point-blank, without any emotion or character development - all of the characters are flat. These three personal issues I had really affected how I read this book.

All of that aside, Tweaked tells a story about drug abuse from the perspective of a drug addict's brother. All members of the family are directly effected, perhaps to an extreme. The story starts the same as every other book on this same topic: no one knows the signs, everyone notices something is going on, but they don't know exactly what. Finally, the family puts two and two together and some members do whatever they can to cover it up, while others come up with a bottom line.

Just like every other book, the drug abuser is a middle class white male, living in a suburban neighbourhood. The entire novel is predictable, which is unfortunate, because the story seems so promising! It seems as if a middle class white woman wrote the book, not knowing much about drugs, how it affects families, and very removed from that whole "scene". 

I would recommend Tweaked to anyone who would like a quick read about drug abuse and how families can be affected, but understanding that this book is a stereotype. 

Overall rating (poor to excellent) - 1

Quotes from the novel:

Over the past two years, there have been many times what I have seen Chase like that. Hyped up, pupils flickering in his head like a pinball machine, skin yellow-gray, sores festering all over his face. Ready to fight anyone who comes near him because he’s suddenly got it in his head that everyone is out to get him: fists clenched, no muscle left in his 130-pound body; but every stringy sinew stretched taut.

Lucky by Alice Sebold

Difficulty level (easiest to hardest) - 6

Emotional level (least to most) - 8
TRIGGERS: Rape, violence, abuse

Action (little to a lot) - 4

Lucky, by Alice Sebold is a true memoir, not a mostly true or an exaggerated truth (like How I Made it to Eighteen or A Million Little Pieces), a real honest-to-goodness memoir. At least as far as the reader is concerned.

When I read Sebold's other novel, The Lovely Bones, I was drawn to her writing and was transformed into her world. I re-read The Lovely Bones when I was in University after reading a book called Redrum: The Innocent. Both authors were telling somewhat similar stories, but I was able to gather a better depth of The Lovely Bones by reading a Canadian text about the Canadian judicial system.

When I picked up Lucky, I purchased 5 copies for $1.99 each, not knowing what kind of steal I received these for.

Lucky begins with the standard "it was a day like any other" feeling, but moves almost immediately into violence and Sebold's own rape - in the first chapter. I would find it hard to believe that she hadn't been through the rape (if the text were not actually a memoir) because it was so precise, moving, and raw. 

The rest of the memoir centers around Sebold seeking justice and closure. Another intriguing layer to Sebold's story is how she evolved during her time in University, and ultimately alluding to how she came to be a writer.

Sebold explains in her memoir about traumatic stories and storytellers. She says that storytellers take ownership of the story, they take the experience of someone else and transform and add to the story to make it their own. It is no use to correct them on the facts, because it belongs to them now.

I really enjoy the way Sebold writes in both of her books. Her artistry of language allows the reader to sit back and just read (or listen) to what she has to say. She is the storyteller, and while her writing is urgent at times, there is an overwhelming sense of patience, calmness, and an undertone I can only describe as her saying "please don't be traumatized, everything is going to be all right, you will see, because I am here. I am alive. I am okay."

I love memoirs, but Lucky is something really special.

However, while I love the memoir, I do take issue with the last few chapters of the book: everything wrapped up nicely, but an entirely different event happens that destroys the lovely ending. Then, the afterward skims over the next number of years leading up to Sebold writing her memoir, chronicling heroin abuse, alcoholism, and self sabotage.

I would recommend this memoir to anyone who has read Speak and is looking for a more adult version of a similar story (suitable for grade 11s and 12s only). Anyone who likes to read about people overcoming obstacles and touchy subjects, or anyone who has read The Lovely Bones or likes Sebold's writing style.

Overall rating (poor to excellent) - 10, up until the afterward

Quotes from the novel:

Since then I've always thought that under rape in the dictionary it should tell the truth. It is not just forcible intercourse; rape means to inhabit and destroy everything. 

After telling the hard facts to anyone from lover to friend, I have changed in their eyes. Often it is awe or admiration, sometimes it is repulsion, once or twice it has been fury hurled directly at me for reasons I remain unsure of. 

For Lorenz, virgins were not a part of his world. He was skeptical of many things I said. Later, when the serology reports proved that what I had said was not a lie, that I had been a virgin, and that I was telling the truth, he could not respect me enough. I think he felt responsible, somehow. It was, after all, in his world where this hideous thing had happened to me. A world of violent crime.

How I Made It to Eighteen: A Mostly True Story by Tracy White

Difficulty level (easiest to hardest) - 4

Emotional level (least to most) - 4

Action (little to a lot) - 2

How I Made It to Eighteen is a graphic novel about a girl (Stacy) who admits herself into a mental hospital for depression, anxiety, addiction, and an eating disorder. The novel itself moves quickly, with sometimes as few as one illustration on a page. Each turning point in the novel is followed by a question posed to her four best/closest friends about Stacy's situation and what they know about it. 

While it was a quick read, this book most definitely lacks in many areas, specifically in character development. In contrast to the reviews on amazon.com, I found it extremely difficult to get invested in Stacy, even though I knew I should. The drawings, while meant to be simplistic, detract from the story because of their quality. The simplicity of them intends for the reader to be able to put themselves in Stacy's shoes, but with the variety and quality of graphic novels available, I couldn't help but feel like it was an amateur attempt of storytelling, and I couldn't get myself to relate to Stacy at all. Also, being a "mostly true" memoir, I felt like the author was trying to cover something up, and the liberties she took with the text (see: mostly true, and not completely true like most memoirs attempt to be) seemed forced and exaggerated.

For anyone who might read and like Beneath a Meth Moon, How I Made It to Eighteen might be a suitable read, but should approach this book with low expectations.

Overall rating (poor to excellent) - 1

Quotes from the novel:

Instead of writing a few quotes from the novel, here is chapter 1.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Difficulty level (easiest to hardest) - 6

Emotional level (least to most) -5 (+1 from Divergent)

Action (little to a lot) - 7 (+1 from Divergent)

Insurgent is the second novel in Veronica Roth's trilogy, similar to Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games. Beatrice Prior, known in the novel as Tris, shot another Dauntless initiate at the end of Divergent, and this is where Insurgent picks up from. The majority of Divergent was about developing the world that Tris finds herself in, a world of factions and rules and behaviours/attitudes categorized by faction. 

Insurgent is also an interesting read because it really delves into the different factions, why they believe what they believe (see the two manifesto images at the end of this post), and how they function. The Hunger Games didn't really get into the psychological/mental aspect of the different districts, but Roth has really uncovered and explained the inner workings of each faction - I can appreciate that. 

The majority of Insurgent is about action, running, and planning. I'll be the first to admit that I was bored half way through (I found that there was too much planning and running), but once I got to approximately chapter 29, I couldn't stop reading until I finished the novel.

The best part about Insurgent is definitely the end, but not for the cold-hearted reason of "now I'm finally done this book", but because of the twist. I almost called it, but it was enough of a twist for me to be upset when I put the book down only to realize that the next one wasn't at hand... because it hasn't come out yet! 

For those people who liked The Hunger Games, or liked Divergent, it's worth it to stick Insurgent out until the end. It really is. 

Overall rating (poor to excellent) - 5 until the last three chapters, then a 7

Quotes from the novel:

“We both have war inside us. Sometimes it keeps us alive. Sometimes it threatens to destroy us.”

“It reminds me why I chose Dauntless in the first place: not because they are perfect, but because they are alive. Because they are free.”  - Tris

“Like a wild animal, the truth is too powerful to remain caged.”  - Inside cover, part of the Candor Manifesto

Beneath a Meth Moon by Jacqueline Woodson

Difficulty level (easiest to hardest) - 2

Emotional level (least to most) - 4

Action (little to a lot) - 4

Beneath a Meth Moon is a mature read, suitable for students in grades 10+. Based on the title, the reader knows immediately what the text centers around - meth. 

This particular novel is not like the other drug books I have read, because it presents itself as a semi-lucid narrative. This means that the book skips between different events in Laurel's life - her "bottom", her mother's demise, first encountering "moon" (meth), and her daily struggles. Each chapter (2-5 pages long) weaves the complex tale of her life - a life hard to understand until the reader begins to understand the author's writing style.

All of that being said, the book itself is an easy read, I managed to finish it in a few hours - and was motivated to do so. I wanted to find out what would ultimately happen to Laurel, and I wanted to find out her back story. I just wish Laurel was more developed as a character, I found that I could not get personally invested in her as a character.

For anyone wanting a quick read about a character with a drug habit and a sad story, with minimal effort, this book fits the bill.

Overall rating (poor to excellent) - 2


Quotes from the novel:

"Something got hard and heavy inside of me, and I knew real deep that my daddy wasn't coming here to get me. Not this time. Not anymore."

"I felt the sadness creeping up quick, put another small taste of moon in my mouth and told T-Boom I had to go, that I'd see him next time."

"Laurel, she said, look at you. Look at yourself! Who did you turn into?!"

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Difficulty level (easiest to hardest) - 6

Emotional level (least to most) - 4

Action (little to a lot) - 6

Divergent, the first in a series by Veronica Roth, is a book very similar to Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games. Divergent is different for a number of reasons:
1) the protagonist, Beatrice, has not been developed as much as Katniss from HG
2) while the idea of different areas of status is similar between both books, there are no Games, but rather once teens reach a certain age they are tested to be put into different factions (the Divergent equivalent to districts) and ultimately end up choosing their "best suited" faction
3) the action is quicker in Divergent, but the description is lacking

Divergent is based primarily around the story of Beatrice and her experience in being tested for which faction is the best fit for her, and what she chooses to do based on her test. At the choosing ceremony, she makes a choice the reader is able to infer. Of course, there is a plot twist during the ceremony, but doesn't quite affect Beatrice in the novel.

And of course, like every other teen novel, there lies some sexual tension between various characters. Divergent is not the exception to this rule.

It's like The Hunger Games. But at the same time, it's a completely different story altogether. Instead of the Games meeting the needs and requirements of basic living, Divergent has a more hopeful message: choose what you are best suited for - make the wrong choice and become a no-one. This resonates with teens mostly because of the strong urge to belong. Belonging is so important in life (but most importantly in high school) it only makes sense that it would be so central to a young adult novel. And of course, we could read more into it, but I would find it difficult to do so without ruining any of the major plot events.

For anyone who liked and is currently looking for a replacement for The Hunger Games, Divergent is a perfect choice.

Overall rating (poor to excellent) - 7


Quotes from the novel:

“We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.”

“I might be in love with you." He smiles a little. "I'm waiting until I'm sure to tell you, though.”

“You think my first instinct is to protect you. Because you're small, or a girl, or a Stiff. But you're wrong."He leans his face close to mine and wraps his fingers around my chin. His hand smells like metal. When was the last time he held a gun, or a knife? My skin tingles at the point of contact, like he's transmitting electricity through his skin.
"My first instinct is to push you until you break, just to see how hard I have to press." he says, his fingers squeezing at the word break. My body tenses at the edge in his voice, so I am coiled as tight as a spring, and I forget to breathe.His dark eyes lifting to mine, he adds, "But I resist it."
"Why..." I swallow hard. "Why is that your first instinct?""Fear doesn't shut you down; it wakes you up. I've seen it. It's fascinating." He releases me but doesn't pull away, his hand grazing my jaw, my neck. "Sometimes I just want to see it again. Want to see you awake.”

"I am selfish. I am brave.”

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The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Difficulty level (easiest to hardest) - 5

Emotional level (least to most) - 8

Action (little to a lot) - 4

The Fault in Our Stars is an emotional book. At least, it makes you feel. Any girl would feel transformed into the protagonist, and it's difficult to get out of, especially since the length of the book is so short (or at least feels that way at a modest 313 pages).

The title, however, is a bit more difficult to understand.

The story is about a girl named Hazel. Hazel Grace. Hazel Grace Lancaster.

Hazel (or Hazel Grace, according to a boy) is written as a vague protagonist. Yes, we understand that she is mousy in her appearance, attends college at 16 years old, she isn't anything special, her lungs fill with cancerous fluid (did I mention she has cancer? She has that too). 

At the very beginning of the novel, Hazel has an argument with her parents about attending Support Group, a place where teens with capital-c Cancer go to find solace within one another and within themselves. To make them feel better about dying, essentially. At the end of each meeting they pray for all of those who have died - a long, long list. 

In what seems like no time at all, the reader is thrown into Hazel's world of attending cancer meetings, being hooked up to a breathing machine, hauling around an oxygen tank, and living to ultimately die - or at least so she says. Hazel meets Augustus Waters, a boy who shows up during one of the meetings who takes Hazel's breath away. From that point on, everything is about Augustus. As the two characters get attached to one another, the reader becomes attached to Augustus. Like every. other. teen. book.

But at the same time, it's different.

I would say that this book is definitely for the introverts, those people who live through books. Who read to escape. It's an emotional read, most definitely. But what got me was the dialogue between Hazel and Augustus - so open, so honest.

And if you liked The Perks of Being A Wallflower, you'll love this book. Honest.

Overall rating (poor to excellent) - 7.5

Quotes from the novel:

"Okay?""Okay." - Hazel and Augustus

"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings." - Julius Caesar

"I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once." - Hazel

"That's the thing about pain, it demands to be felt." - Augustus

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Room by Emma Donoghue

Difficulty level (easiest to hardest) - 5


Emotional level (least to most) - 7

Action (little to a lot) - 5

Room, by Emma Donoghue is a perfect read for a weekend. I wouldn't recommend reading this novel during the week - like I found - because I found that I wanted to read until the very end, and would try to find as much time as possible to read.

The novel told from the perspective of Jack, a 4 year old boy (but his 5th birthday is right at the beginning of the novel) who lives in a room with his mother. They don't go out of Room because they can't. Every night, Jack sleeps in Wardrobe until after 9pm, when Old Nick either comes into Room, or doesn't.

I would say that the novel is easy to read because it is told from Jack's perspective - although it is worth noting that he is very advanced in his vocabulary, sentence structure, and math, for his age. Due to the way this story is told, it is difficult for a reader to not throw themselves into Room with Jack and his mother, play with Snake or Labyrinth, watch Dora, or run on Racetrack. An emotional investment is necessary to get through the novel.

The novel is problematic because all of the characters didn't seem real enough to me. Not much is known about Jack's mom, even though she is central to Jack's life. The first half of the book required an emotional investment, but the second half felt rushed. I think Donoghue intended the second half to be rushed, and it makes sense, but I just didn't like it.

It's worth mentioning that I started reading this novel the week that Amanda Berry and the two other women were saved from a similar situation in Cleveland.

Overall rating (poor to excellent) - 9

Quotes from the novel:

“Scared is what you're feeling. Brave is what you're doing.” ― Ma

“Stories are a different kind of true.” ― Ma

“Goodbye, Room." I wave up at Skylight. "Say goodbye," I tell Ma. "Goodbye, Room." Ma says it but on mute. I look back one more time. It's like a crater, a hole where something happened. Then we go out the door.” ― Jack