Books are a way of life.

Speak- Laurie Halse Anderson

Freshman year is hard. Especially when you’re alone. Especially when not only you’re alone, but you’re alone and everyone else hates you. Well, that’s Melinda’s situation. The only one who relates to her is her art teacher Mr. Freeman. She used to have friends, until the end of 8th grade summer. There was a party- and she ended up calling the cops. In seconds, all the “friends” she had were gone. Melinda never told her parents- or her friends- why she called 911. And she promises herself to lock that secret away. When she reaches the end, will she break? Or will she finally find the courage to speak?

(K)I loved loved loved this book. I liked the style in which it was written, i liked the characters, and the conflicts. My only downfall was the predictability of it. Not much was surprising to me. Maybe i read to much- never mind. That’s no possible.

(A) This book may have been predictable, but it shows the chilling truth of people who are really, truly alone. Of secrets. 

Visit her website at www.writerlady.com

Ally’s Rating: 9.8/10

Kaitlyn’s Rating:9/10

The Fault In Our Stars- John Green

Repost, because of the awesomeness of this book.

Wow- words cannot describe how both of us feel about this book. By far the best book I have ever read- and I have read a lot of books. I literally could not put it down, and reread it often.

 This is the story of a teenage girl named Hazel Grace Lancaster. At age 13 she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and the cancer has spread to her lungs. She has never been anything but terminal, and thinks of herself as a ticking bomb- ready to explode suddenly at any moment. Her life isn’t much more than her parents, her cancer, and America’s Next Top Model- her favorite show. Her mother forces her to go to a support group for cancer, saying “Hazel, you deserve a life.” Hazel fails to see how that constitutes as a life, but goes to make her parents happy. As Hazel says in the book, “..the only thing worse from biting from cancer when you’re 16, is having a kid who bites it at 16.”

Her parents are easily her two best friends- until she meets a drop dead gorgeous boy named Augustus Waters. Augustus shows her more to life and she quickly falls for him. Both Augustus and Hazel are obsessed with this book, An Imperial Affliction, by the reclusive Peter Van Houten. The book is Hazel’s favorite, and offers no closure to the lives of the characters, as it ends in the middle of a sente

The Fault in Our Stars is not a Cancer Book- it is a book about two young kids who happen to have cancer, and how they handle the knowledge they will inevitably die and be forgotten, and to a bigger extent, the inevitability of human oblivion.

This book will have laughing on one page, and crying on the next. A mustread. I’m a huge fan of John Green, and I encourage you to be too. Learn more about him and The Fault in Our Stars on his you tube channel:http://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers?ob=0&feature=results_main

Ally’s rating: 11/10 stars.

Kaitlyn’s rating: 15000/10 stars

Go Ask Alice- Anonymous

At times you will hate her, other times you’ll lover her. But in the end, you will never forget, the every-changing; Alice.

Alice is an outsider dying to fit in when suddenly- shes invited to a party. She’s eager to join this new group of people that could be her friends. Everyone’s laid back and accept her willingly. Drinks are passed out and suddenly shes gone. Not physically- just mentally. It turns out her drink was laced with LSD. Later, she finds out that only some were laced, and she happened to get one of them. That ‘trip’ was all she needed to feel alive, accepted, and happy. She wants another round and before she knows it, Alice’s life is out of control- spiraling downward away from her loving family, her innocence, and her youth- and ultimately her life.

This is a true story about the horrifyingly real experiences of a girl addicted to drugs.

Although it is still published under the byline “Anonymous”, it is largely or wholly the work of its purported editor, Beatrice Sparks. The writer of the actual diary, however, is unknown.

Ally’s Rating:6/10

Kaitlyn’s Rating: 6.9/10

An Abundance of Katherines- John Green

Colin Singleton, noted child prodigy, has a type when it comes to relationships. Only his type doesn’t have anything to do with personality, or even looks. Its all about names. specifically one: Katherine. Every person he’s ever dated was named Katherine, spelled like that. And every Katherine he’s dated has dumped him. After Katherine 19, 19 heartbreaks from 19 Katherines, he decides he has to move on. So he packs his things, convinces his Judge Judy-loving best friend, Hassan, to go with him, and leaves. On a road trip going anywhere. There come across a town named Gutshot, where the Archduke Franz Ferdinand-whose death was the supposed spark of World War I- is buried. They stay with Hollis and her daughter Lindsey, who is dating- get this- a boy named Collin(nicknamed The other Colin by Hassan and Collin)Colin, being border line genius when it comes to math(though he won’t admit he is a genius), decides to come up with a formula to determine the outcome of relationships. He names it The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability. Him and Lindsey grow closer and closer… But she’s not a Katherine. But Colin is depending on the Theorem to prove he can be more than just a washed up child prodigy who reached his academic peak early… And maybe he can be a genius.

As always, we think highly of John Green as an author and you can get to know him better on his YouTube channel: vlogbrothers

Ally’s Ratings: 8/10

Kaitlyn’s Rating: 7.7/10

Want to Go Private? -Sarah Littman

Abby just started high school and with a big school, its easy to become distanced from your friends. Abby just doesn’t fit in with the people at her school. And the boys can’t remember her name. She goes online and finally meets someone who really understands her- Luke. He calls her beautiful, says she’s smart- and he would never forget her name. Soon he says he loves her- and she feels the same. She trusts Luke with everything- even trusts him when he says not to tell anyone that they’ll meet soon. Suddenly, Abby is gone. And if her friends and family can’t figure out the mystery that is Luke, they may never see Abby again.

This book has twists and turns that you’ll never see coming. Sarah Littman changes the point of view several times so you can see into everyone’s mind. This book really shows how a decision can effect not only yourself, but everyone around you and more.

Ally’s Rating: 7/10

Kaitlyn’s Rating: 7.6/10

The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald

[MAY CONTAINSLIGHT SPOILERS,SORRY.]

The Great Gatsby- a classic? Yes. So it’s long boring uninteresting? NO! This book is spectacular- and very easy and fun, yes fun, to read critically.

I am going to leave this review to New York Times best selling author John Green. John? (This was all said in a video on his video blog, in 2011)

Read his critical thoughts here: http://nerdfighteria.info/index.php?title=Gatsby%27s_American_Dream:_Reading_The_Great_Gatsby_Critically,_Chapter_1

I can’t really describe it better.

Even if it’s just for a school assignment, i would say you HAVE to read this book. The Great Gatsby is a very captivating book that makes you really think. It does have a few difficult words in it, but then again, it WAS written in 1925.

Ally’s Rating: 10/10 Stars.