Random Reads

WELCOME!

  This site is dedicated to teen literature.

     I would like others to become acquainted with young adult literature. Many people overlook these books and tend to jump right into Adult Fiction.  As Seinfeld would say, "Not that there's anything wrong with that," but you are missing out on some truly great reads.

*DISCLAIMER*

     Since the majority of the books I read are Young Adult, the reviewed books on this site will reflect this reading habit.  Other books may also include Juvenile, Adult Fiction, and Non-Fiction.

JUST FINISHED READING

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

  Many authors tackle anorexia/bulimia and I've read them all.  When I began reading Wintergirls, I was expecting the same story, different perspective.  I thought it might be good since Laurie Halse Anderson is such a brilliant novelist.  I was totally unprepared for the raw emotion this novel provokes.  It is deeply disturbing and the author captures the essence of the disease so realistic that readers will be disturbed for a long time.  Lia suffers from anorexia and her best friend Cassie had bulimia.  Cassie's body was found dead in a hotel room.  Lia suffers guilt because Cassie called her cell phone 33 times.  Lia never returned the call because they were estranged.  The novel follows Cassie's guilt and her disease as they both slowly try to kill her. 

Lia's character is so obsessed with food that she knows exactly how many calories each item of food has and when she meets new people she guesses their body mass index.  Whatever she weighs, she wants to weigh less.  Her goal of 85 lbs. is so disturbing that readers will wonder how she even functions while being so obsessed with not eating.  Readers will surely be haunted for a long time. 

The Road of Lost Innoncence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine by Somaly Mam

    Somaly Mam is a courageous woman who endured rape and torture after being sold into the sex slave industry at the age of twelve.  She chronicles her life and readers will be horrified at the atrocities she endured.  She eventually marries Pierre, a relief aid worker from France.  Somaly begins a lifelong mission to save other young girls from such a horrific lifestyle.  Somaly's crusade involves saving other girls, building shelters, schools, and setting up a foundation to aid the young victims of this brutal industry.  Her memoir will haunt readers as she recounts her early years.  Somaly Mam is a true hero who has brought international attention to such a horrific industry.

Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper by Diablo Cody

  The first thing I noticed about this book is the author's name.  Diablo Cody. What a really cool name for a person.  I think I read somewhere that was not her birth name.  Anyhow, Cody's memoir describes the year she became a stripper.  Readers get an inside look at the culture of exotic dancing.  Cody eventually gives up a white collar job to become a stripper.  She chronicles what drew her to the industry, the effect it had upon her relationship with her boyfriend (who was actually quite supportive), and many of the stereotypes portrayed by exotic dancers.  Readers should be warned: Cody holds nothing back and her writing is authentic yet sometimes vulgar.  Diablo Cody went on to win an Academy Award for writing the screenplay for the movie Juno.

Deadly Little Secrets by Laurie Faria Stolarz

  Sixteen year old Camelia's life is pretty ordinary.  She gets decent grades, has an afer school job, and gets along relatively well with her parents.  Things drastically change when a new boy with a shady past starts at her school.  Ben is rumored to have killed his ex-girlfriend.  Camelia is attracted to Ben and they start a friendship.  Scary things begin happening to Camelia.  She is being stalked by somebody.  She feels watched.  Somebody breaks into her bedroom.  Somebody is leaving photographs of herself in her mailbox.  Is it Ben?  Or is Ben trying to protect her?  I'm a huge fan of Laurie Stolarz and this book reminds me why. 

Paper Towns by John Green

  Weeks before graduation, Quentin's next door neighbor and fellow classmate Margo Roth Spiegelman awakens him for an all night revenge spree.  Quentin and Margo were childhood friends until she became ultra cool and mingled with a much cooler crowd.  Quentin still loved and admired her from afar.  During the all nighter, they reconnect (not physically) as friends on a very deep level.  Quentin arrives at school the next day and discovers that Margo is absent.  He later learns that she ran away again.  Margo has been known to run away in the past and leaves clues to her whereabouts.  Quentin is convinced that she may have killed herself and is determined to find her.  He enlists his best friends and they take a hilarious road trip to find her.  This is a great read.  It is funny, suspenseful, and the characters are unforgettable.  For a similar read that is truly amazing, check out As Simple As Snow by Gregory Galloway!

Stolen Car by Patrick Jones

     The setting is Flint, MI and 15 year old Danielle lives at a run down trailer park with her mother and whichever loser boyfriend her mom happens to be dating.  Danielle's summer looms before her and before long, she hooks up with much older bad boy Reid.  He has a constant stream of friends at his mom's house that play video games, drink, smoke, and do drugs.  Danielle wants to believe that Reid is really into her but her BFF Ashley sees past Reid and his cool exterior.  Danielle easily falls for his good looks, cool car, and endless supply of cash.  This novel reads very similar to Patrick's previous novels and readers will be hooked.  While I loved the book, I wasn't too crazy with the somewhat forced ending and how a secondary character seems to act totally out of character.

Season of Ice by Diane Les Becquets

    Genesis' father ventures out on his boat in northern Maine to repair a dock and never returns home.  Genesis is left with her stepmother and younger twin brothers as the family tries to pull themselves back together.  Her father's body is unable to be recovered because the thick layer of ice over the water makes searching impossible.  The family has to wait until spring when searching can continue.  In the meantime, the family cannot access the insurance money without a body.  Small town life breeds gossip and many wonder if her father really died in the water that day or something else entirely.  Did her father have an affair and runoff with another woman?  Or did he really die that day on the lake?  Genesis struggles with her grief, her unanswered questions, and her ability to pull her family back together.

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

     As children, Jennifer and Cameron are each other's best friend and only friend.  They are social misfits that are bullied and harassed.  One day, Cameron mysteriously disappears leaving Jennifer completely devestated.  As time passes, Jennifer transforms herself into Jenna as she begins a new school and new life when her mother remarries.  She is popular with friends and even a boyfriend.  Her world is turned upside down during her senior year when Cameron suddenly reappears.  Their special bond is still present as they relive past memories and return to their childhood homes to relive a terrifying moment.  This fast paced read is very absorbing and readers will appreciate these two childhood sweethearts special connection.