The Librarian Writer

Title: The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B Author: Teresa Toten Publisher: Delacorte Press Publication Date: March 10, 2015 ISBN-13: 978-0553507867 304 pp. ARC provided by publisher If this gem of a book slipped your notice when it first came out, go ahead and put it on your TBR pile. It's one of those sad, funny, honest, and ultimately optimistic contemporary YA novels that remind you why you love YA. Adam starts group therapy for his OCD and is instantly captivated by fellow OCD sufferer, Robyn. As the group bonds over superheroes as a way to express themselves, Adam becomes Batman to Robyn's Robin (I see what you've done there) . But as much as Adam wants to get better - for the group, for his mom, for his little brother, for himself, and especially for Robyn - he's not. He's getting worse and there's no way he can save Robyn when he can't even save himself. You can tell that Teresa Toten loves her characters and has done the res...

Title: Eden West  Author: Pete Hautman Publisher: Candlewick Publication Date: April 14, 2015 ISBN-13: 978-0763674182  320 pp. ARC provided by publisher This is a book that could be confused for dystopia at first glance. Jacob lives in the community of Nodd, home to the people known as the Grace. Their prophet, who has a penchant for young wives, says that the Grace will be spared when the rest of the world is destroyed. The fences and guns are there to protect the Grace from the impending evil outside. But Jacob actually lives on a ranch in Montana and life within a cult is the only life he remembers. When Tobias and his family join the Grace, very much against Tobias' will, Jacob begins to question their strict rules and the punishments that follow if they're broken. Jacob also meets Lynna, a Worldly girl who lives on the ranch nearby. Lynna wants to know about Jacob and the Grace and Jacob finds her simple questions more and more difficult to answer....

Title: Love and Other Perishable Items Author: Laura Buzo Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers Publication Date: December 11, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-0375870002 256 pp. ARC provided by publisher This novel was originally published in Australia under the title Good Oil , which makes sense once you read the book. The American title makes it sound a little chick-lit, but the book is much smarter and funnier than that. Fifteen-year-old Amelia takes a part-time job as a cashier at her local supermarket. When cute boy Chris trains her, Amelia falls hard for him. She realizes that charming, funny, smart, and occasionally brooding Chris is twenty-one, and therefore out of her league. But she cannot stop thinking about him. Or talking about him. Or making a fool of herself over him. Meanwhile, Chris is pining for a girl who broke his heart, watching his friends become more successful than him, and wondering what the hell to do with his life. The book is written from both Ameli...

Title: Send Me a Sign Author: Tiffany Schmidt Publisher: Walker Childrens Publication Date: October 2, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-0802728401 384 pp. ARC from publisher via Netgalley I chose this title mostly because it was available on Netgalley when I needed something to read. I didn't know anything about it beforehand and I thought I'd give it chapter or two. Well, I read the whole thing. It's a good, solid read by debut author Tiffany Schmidt . Send Me a Sign centers on Mia, a happy, popular girl about to go into her senior year. So when she's diagnosed with leukemia, she's determined to keep her life as normal as possible. Even if that means not telling anyone about her cancer. All Mia succeeds in doing is alienate her friends, including the one friend she does trust enough to tell, cute boy-next-door Gyver. There were times when I wanted to throttle Mia, who is so deep in denial that she makes some seriously misguided choices. But I can also unde...

Title: Butter Author: Erin Jade Lange Publisher: Bloomsbury Publication Date: September 4, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-1599907802 304 pp. ARC from publisher via Netgalley "Butter" is the nickname of a teenage boy who pushes the scale past 400 lbs. He goes to high school in a wealthy suburb of Phoenix where he's invisible. Even though he's there, bigger than life, so to speak, everyone deals with him by pretending he doesn't exist. Until one day, he becomes the center of (unwelcome) attention. And Butter's response is to put up a website called ButtersLastMeal.com where he promises to eat himself to death live on the Internet. Instead of the disgust, or even indifference, he was expecting, Butter finds himself becoming part of the "in" crowd as they take bets on whether or not he goes through with it. This is an amazing debut by Erin Jade Lange, who creates beautifully flawed characters, starting with Butter. Butter has a hilarious voice...

Title: Something Like Normal Author: Trish Doller Publisher: Bloomsbury   Publication Date: June 19, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-1599908441 224 pp. ARC from publisher via Netgalley Every once in awhile, I'll read a book that's so damn good, I wish I'd written it. Last year, that book was Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. This year, it's Something Like Normal by Trish Doller . Something Like Normal centers on Travis, a 19-year-old Marine who's on leave from a tour in Afghanistan. He comes home to Florida to face a family that's falling apart, a girl who hates his guts, and post-traumatic stress from the ambush that killed his best friend. Travis has a voice that's dead-on for a young guy who has lived through more than his years should allow. He's sarcastic, mad, sad, and as funny as hell. He's tries to do the right thing, but doesn't always succeed. He's one of the most well-rounded male characters I've read in YA literat...

Title: Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe Author: Shelley Coriell Publisher: Amulet Books Publication Date: May 1, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-1419701917 320 pp.   ARC from publisher via Netgalley --> When I chose Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe , I thought it would a fun piece of fluff about a girl who worked at her high school radio station. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the novel is so much more than that. Chloe is a gregarious, popular girl at her school and her humorous voice comes through the narration in pitch-perfect style. But Chloe isn’t having a good time right now.  Her two BFFs have turned their backs on her for a perceived slight and they’ve gone so far as to spread a terrible rumor about her. Her junior year project has been rejected and she’s forced to help the struggling radio station with promotions. And Chloe’s family life is a war zone as her independent grandmother refuses any help, even though her Parkinson’s disease is get...

Title: Someone Else's Life Author: Katie Dale Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers Publication Date: February 14, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-0385740654 464 pp. ARC from publisher via Netgalley I was really intrigued by this book. The basic plot starts with Rosie, a young woman in England, who watches her mother Trudie slowly die from Huntington's disease. What's worse for Rosie is that Huntington's disease is hereditary and she has a 50/50 chance of getting it. Except a secret is finally revealed ... Rosie is not Trudie's daughter. She was switched at birth with a girl named Holly. Rosie tracks down her real family in the United States, but the repercussions, especially for Holly, are life-altering. I liked Rosie, a lot. She was believable in all her fears and doubts and missteps. I did not, however, like Holly. Holly has every right to be freaked out and miserable, but she comes off as unstable. There were certain scenes where her actions and/or r...

Title : How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy Author : Crystal Allen Publisher : Blazer + Bray Publication Date : February 22, 2011 ISBN-10 : 0061992720 288 pp. Reading copy via local library I started reading Lamar's Bad Prank during the summer but got distracted by, you know, life. But I'm glad I picked up Lamar's story again because it's a flat-out great read. --> Lamar is a 13-year-old bowling fanatic living in a working class neighborhood in Indiana. His older brother Xavier is a basketball phenom and in his basketball crazy town, Lamar doesn't get any respect for being the King of Striker's, the local bowling alley. But Bubba Sanders, Lamar's bowling hero, is coming to Striker's on the Fourth of July and Lamar is planning on having the best summer ever. Of course it all goes horribly wrong. Lamar's history with pulling pranks hinders his wooing of a local girl. Lamar begins hanging out with Billy Jenks...

Title : Paper Covers Rock Author : Jenny Hubbard Publisher : Delacorte Books for Young Readers Publication Date : June 14, 2011 ISBN-13 : 978-0385740555 192 pp. Reading copy via local library If you're in the mood for a thoughtful, lovely little novel, then pick up a copy of Jenny Hubbard's Paper Covers Rock . Alex is a 16 year old student at a boarding school circa 1982. After his best friend Thomas dies in an accident, there are secrets to be kept and lies to be told. There is also English teacher Miss Dovecott, who tries to help Alex with his grief by encouraging him to write poetry. The fact that Alex falls in love with Miss Dovecott just complicates things more. The novel is written as Alex's journal, an almost stream of consciousness confession of Alex's fears and dreams. There are many literary allusions, primarily Melville's Moby Dick , but Alex's self-mocking at his own pretentiousness makes them accessible to readers not familiar with...