lessons from a dead girl by Jo Knowles

Leah Green took careful consideration in choosing the girl who would be so lucky to become her best friend back in fifth grade. Now that she is dead, Laine is left wondering why it was that Leah chose her all those years ago; and wishing they had never even met.

This is a story full of the truths of abuse and bullying and the devastating effects they have on the lives of these two characters as individuals and as friends. The circle of deceit between them is never broken even when they are separated by time and distance. The pain of their friendship lives like a third person in this story; one that is a constant reminder of the many losses between them- honesty, youth, frienship, innocence and trust.

I was incredibly moved by the story of Leah and Laine. I wanted answers to so many of the questions I was left asking myself when I finished reading LESSONS. Didn't Laine's sister realize what was happening? Why didn't she try to stop it? Does the circle of abuse have to continue or can one person be strong enough to stop it? How does an abuser draw the line betweent love and hate?

LESSONS FROM A DEAD GIRL is an intense story that will leave you feeling grateful for the life you live or, for those unfortunate enough to relate to these characters on a personal level, perhaps feeling a sense of belonging in the world. Read it.

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

Let me start by saying this is by far one of my all-time favorite YA novels. I think Carolyn Mackler's writing is genius and I can't wait for her next book to come out. Now, let me tell you why this book is so special.

First of all how can you NOT love this title! You have to admit that as far as titles go, this one definitely grabs your attention, so will the main character Virginia Shreves. She is the fat girl living in a perfect family. Or so it seems to Virginia anyway. Her story had me laughing out loud within the first few pages as she tells explains the details of her first true "hook up" with her so-called friend and crush, Froggy. Yep, that's seriously his name and the story just gets sillier from there. Until Virginia starts having to deal with all the issues in her life that her parents and siblings just continued sweeping under their expensive rugs. This is the story of a less than perfect girl who discovers that she is perfect just the way she is-- not a bad lesson for teenage girls to hear these days, don't you agree? Along her road of self-discovery Virginia also realizes that none of her family members are nearly as perfect as she had convinced herself they were. Because of this, Virginia is able to embrace her big round butt and everyone else in her life follows.

I believe so much in this book and it's message, I wish every teenage girl could have a chance at reading it. Mackler and her novel were honored with the Printz award for excellence in young adult literature.

the perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

I read this book because I heard so much incredible talk about it on another site that discusses books for teens. It literally took me weeks to get my hands on a copy because they were always sold out at the Barnes and Noble stores near my home. I was a bit confused at first because one store kept the book in the YA section and another store shelved it in adult fiction. On top of all that when I finally got my copy I realized the book was published by Mtv and that really piqued my interest. Needless to say, I was really looking forward to reading it.

Now I don't want to push any buttons here, but I was sadly disappointed when I finished this novel. This is Charlie's story as told through a series of letters he writes to someone who is never named. Charlie is a confused teen who is in the middle of that horrifying stage of trying to figure out just who the heck he is. His life is interrupted by teen dating, sex, drugs, friends, and even repressed family trauma. As much as I wanted to like Charlie, I found myself just feeling sorry for him. I kept waiting for something major to happen to him, for one of those lightbulb moments when Charlie finally figures something out, and it never came. I wanted to see Charlie take hold of his life and make something of it but in the end he was just a teen without any drive or direction.

Some people compare this novel to the classic novels THE CATCHER IN THE RYE or even A SEPARATE PEACE. I wouldn't necessarily agree, however, if you like either of those books I would suggest you give WALLFLOWER a try.

Guest Blog

I am posting a blog I wrote last month for YA Enchanting Reviews. It was fun writing this piece because it took me back to my earliest days of reading. What was your first experience with books?


What YA Books Mean to Me


I learned to read before I had even started kindergarten. My dad was a special ed teacher and a book lover who managed to instill that same love in me at the tender age of four. The first book I read was a big old text book that I’m sure my father took from some old closet at the school he was teaching in at the time. I remember sitting on the gold shag carpet in our living room reading aloud about Dick and Jane running. That is a great memory for me.

By the time I was in 6th grade I was mad for all things Judy Blume. I thought I had stumbled upon a major discovery when I read novels like Are You There God Its Me Margaret, Deenie, and Tiger Eyes. I remember telling all of my friends in those very impressionable pre-teen years all about these incredible books that seemed to be told from the mind of someone who was just like us.

For me, though, these books provided a personal support system. By the time I was starting 4th grade, my parents had divorced and my mother had moved out. The year was 1978 and fathers didn’t generally get custody of their children. The circumstances were unusual, my mother was suffering from schizophrenia, and it seemed I had lost my mother for good. I could no longer go to her to talk about my friends, the boys I liked, or later, to ask her questions about what it meant to be a girl during those pre-teen years. I had no one to ask about when it was the right time to buy your first bra. What it was like the first time you get your period. How it might feel to fall in love for the first time. So I turned to Judy Blume. In her books I found the answers to so many of my questions. I understood through her stories that I was “normal”, that all the things I was going through were ok, and that one day everything I then found so confusing would actually make sense to me.

Is it any wonder that now as a 39 year old woman, I am still drawn to reading the best YA novels?

Today I am working on writing my first book for teens. It is a personal story that includes parts of my own young life. Even my mother makes an appearance, but I am able to create a world in which we are still able to have some kind of a relationship. Now, I don’t claim to be any kind of writer like the great Judy Blume (heck, I don’t even have an agent yet!), but I can dream right? Maybe one day my story will provide a little comfort for another girl who was as lost as I was. Maybe my words will bring one reader the hope she needs to continue moving forward when she feels there is no one to talk to.

These are the things that well written words and a truthful story can bring to a teen reader. This is what YA books mean to me.