Tag Archives: Young Adult

Bitter End by Jennifer Brown

American Literature December 30, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A teen girl’s new boyfriend isn’t the gentleman he seems to be, but she alienates her two best friends when they try to intervene, with violent results. Review: Bitter End is an insightful look at the psychology of a teen girl in love with an abusive boy. I thought that Jennifer Brown‘s execution was perceptive, risky, and emotionally honest. It was hard to watch Alex push her friends away, hard to see her put up with excuses and apologies, but I understood every choice…

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

American Literature December 27, 2011 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: Her boyfriend shot up the school then shot himself, and now Val has to make it through senior year. Review: Wow. I am so impressed with the execution in Hate List, a book that could’ve gone wrong in so many ways, but ended up getting everything right. Val’s predicament as the girlfriend of a school shooter tore me to pieces. I could see her point of view and wished I could send her in a better direction, even though I knew she had to…

Leftovers by Laura Wiess

American Literature December 27, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: The daughter of an aspiring judge and her best friend, a loner whose parents and brother party all the time, find themselves contemplating a devastating and dangerous course of action when confronted with a very personal injustice. Review: The friendship between Ardith and Blair in Leftovers is somewhat reminiscent of the movie Heavenly Creatures, one of my all-time favorites. Alienated from their parents and desperate for a connection, the relationship between the girls blurs boundaries and takes on life-saving properties for both of them.…

Willow by Julia Hoban

American Literature December 3, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: After accidentally killing her parents, a teen turns to cutting and attracts the attention of a guy who desperately wants to save her. Review: Creepiest love story I’ve read in a long time. Ick.

Ascent by Amy Kinzer (The Party Series, Book 1)

American Literature November 6, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Three teens are recruited for an elite leadership training program that will allow them to go back in time and change the moments they regret the most. Review: Wow, Ascent is a fantastic deal–only 99 cents for Kindle! You’d think that such a low price would indicate low quality, but that’s hardly the case. Amy Kinzer‘s writing can certainly compete with traditionally published authors of YA dystopian fiction. I hope she’s working on the next book, because I am a big fan!

Girl Over the Edge by Amy Kinzer

American Literature November 1, 2011 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: When two best friends take topless pictures at themselves at a party, they become social pariahs at school, their friendship fractures, and both of them begin to self-destruct. Review: Girl Over the Edge is a great bargain at only 99 cents for the Kindle. The writing is accomplished, though a tad bit vague in a few places. I was sucked into Beckett and Chloe’s dilemma. I did wonder why it was easier for Beckett than for Chloe, and that was never fully explained to…

The Luxe by Anna Godberson

American Literature October 15, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: The death of a society girl in 1899 New York City isn’t quite what it seems, thanks to an impossibly complex snarl of love triangles. Review: I guess you would call The Luxe “Gossip Girl” set in Edith Wharton territory, but that makes it sound dreadful when in fact it’s pretty enjoyable. I don’t think I’ll continue on in the series but it was a fun read.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

American Literature October 14, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: When the eccentric creator of the virtual reality world that has become more real than the real world dies without an heir, the nerds of the world race to discover a hidden easter egg that will unlock his fortune. Review: So. Fun. Ready Player One was an absolute treat of a book–compulsively readable and fabulously geeky. The hero is Wade, known in the virtual world called OASIS as “Parzival,” a high school student who has dedicated his whole life to hunting for the hidden…

Dark Parties by Sara Grant

British Literature August 3, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: In a dystopia under a sealed dome where inbreeding has left everyone looking very similar, one girl looks for the truth about the world outside. Review: Dark Parties has a decent enough concept, and is executed well enough, but Neva’s plight didn’t strike a chord with me. Perhaps it was the world-building which felt thin and undercooked. I love dystopian YA, but am growing fearful that the genre has played out. It’s not enough to have an idea and be able to write. When…

Cold Light by Jenn Ashworth

British Literature July 24, 2011 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: When a body is uncovered near a memorial site for a dead teen, her former best friend reflects on the events of a decade ago that culminated in tragedy. Review: Cold Light was tremendously depressing. Lola, the narrator was mopey, passive, and largely unappealing. Her best friend Chloe is described as having a charisma that draws people to her, but she just seemed angry and petulant to me. I think that was the point, though, and that I’m just in a place where these…

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