Category Archives: Young Adult

The Pull of Gravity, by Gae Polisner (2011)

Posted on December 1, 2013 by

You’d be hard-pressed to find two places more dissimilar than the dust bowl of John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men,” and the almost sterile futurism of the Star Wars saga.* Similarly, you’d be hard-pressed to find two characters less alike … Continue reading →

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Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell (2013)

Posted on November 4, 2013 by

Eighteen-year-old Cather has a lot going on in her life. She’s beginning her freshman year in college, and young wizard, Simon, and his vampire roommate, Baz, are taking up all of her time. Cather’s a student at that special school … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, General Fiction, Young Adult | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Owners Manual for Driving Your Adolescent Brain, by Terrence Deak, PhD; JoAnn Deak, PhD; illustrated by Freya Harrison

Posted on September 23, 2013 by

Adolescence is never easy. We know to expect many of the changes we encounter: girls growing breasts and curves, boys voices deepening, and everyone growing hair all over parts they used to be scared to wash. These are the “normal” … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Books of the Year, Books, Non Fiction and/or Commentary, Science: from Anatomy to Zoology, series, Young Adult | 1 Comment

This Song Will Save Your Life, by Leila Sales (2013)

Posted on September 13, 2013 by

Achieving the Perfect Mix (nb: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley) Sixteen-year-old Elise Dembowski says she was born to be unpopular. She’s precocious and works hard. She’s not extremely beautiful, and she missed … Continue reading →

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The Clockwork Scarab (Stoker & Holmes #1), by Colleen Gleason (2013)

Posted on September 3, 2013 by

If the names Stoker and Holmes sound familiar, they should. Evaline Stoker comes from a long line of vampire hunters. She has incredible strength, courage and agility, as well as a sort of recklessness. The Stokers are among high societies … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, History, Mysteries/Thrillers, series, Young Adult | Leave a comment

What I Came to Tell You, by Tommy Hays (2013)

Posted on September 1, 2013 by

(nb: I received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley) Picture Perfect: Loss, Love, and The Art of Healing “What I Came to Tell You” shows a family imploding in grief, and how they find redemption in learning they … Continue reading →

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Lake Thirteen, by Greg Herren (2013)

Posted on August 3, 2013 by

Creepy Summer Chills, Perfect for the Beach (nb: I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley) Scotty Thompson is about to enter his Senior Year. He has all the usual problems of boys that age: … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, LGBT, Mysteries/Thrillers, Paranormal, Young Adult | Leave a comment