Book Review: Falling into Place by Amy Zhang

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Falling into Place
Amy Zhang
YA Contemporary
Published: 2014

From Goodreads:
On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton’s laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road. 

A beautifully written and haunting story of a teen girl's life circling depression and suicide. As a reader, I devoured this book in a couple sittings. As a writer, I noted how this story defies many "rules" we are taught that current young adult fiction has to follow. Here we find wandering narrative (third person present tense, not often used since it can be difficult), switching within scenes from different characters, and non-linear storytelling. 

Oh, and addition to that? The author wrote this in while in high school. 

This is a great book to show the nuance to depression, and how it's never just one incident that causes a person to attempt suicide. Here we see the whole spectrum of  Liz Emerson's life, including how others see her, and the step by step progression. There's a bit of  a twist in the story, and the ending worked really well for me. I can see educators using this book to show depression in a realistic way and told in an engaging story. 

Book Review: Damsel Distressed by Kelsey Macke

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Damsel Distressed
Kelsey Macke
Published: Oct. 2014
Young Adult Contemporary

I want to hug this book.

Many writer friends gushed over Damsel Distressed, and now I understand. I'm surprised, even if I shouldn't be based on the tastes of those friends, at how this Cinderella send-up is so emotionally resonating. That was likely my miscalculation, since this isn't a retelling, and even the gimmick of a character being named Ella Cinder itself is pulled apart and laughed over by the other characters. 

Imogen struggles with grief, self-harm, and low self-esteem after losing her mother at a young age. Now, she's expected to adjust to her father's remarriage, a new step-sister who hates her, all while Dad is barely around due to work. Additionally, Imogen's feels like she doesn't belong in her own overweight body. So many times this book could have gone to cliche plot devices or eschewed mature conversations, and yet did not. By mature, I do not mean swearing or "bad" language, but by not watering down or simplifying for a teen audience themes that require emotional maturity to grasp. 

The setting of a stage production of Once Upon a Mattress was completely fitting for the fairy tale deconstruction theme, and was just fun to see the joy Imogen and her friends experienced as stage crew for the school production. I loved the intimate conversations that cropped up in the sound booth or backstage while being fit for costumes. That's where those discussions happen--not saved for the right moment when characters take a walk by a stream, but right there among the chaos, and whispered behind a barely closed door. It took me right back to my own days in the school musical where some of my favorite high school memories originated. 

Other non-cliches: no "evil" stepmother here, only Imogen's changing perception of stepmother Evelyn. Supportive friends who were affected by changes in their relationship with Imogen, not from random plot devices. A BFF-potential love interest with a complex, believable relationship. Moments where Imogen shows huge maturity, and moments where she's allowed to be what she is--a hurting teen girl. Therapists who are helpful, and several teens who take medication and not shamed, though again, Imogen has her own personal struggle with how she views herself.

A highly recommended read full of depth and wonderful, real moments. 

Book Review: Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

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Under a Painted Sky
Stacey Lee
YA Historical
Published: March 17, 2015

I'm so excited to share a review of this book, which releases today! I got to know Stacey through the Pitch Wars blog contest last year, and was lucky enough to get passed an early copy of the book. I read this through in about two sittings. It's exactly the kind of book I like, and I'm glad it's finally out to the world!

The story involves Samantha, a Chinese American girl living in the Midwest in the 1840s. When a tragic accident leaves her homeless, parentless, and sought after by the law, she and runaway slave Annamae take off for the Oregon Trail, disguising themselves as boys.

There's all kinds of danger here--the rough trails, untrustworthy strangers, and authorities on the hunt for two girls they believe are criminals. The two meet a band of cowboys along the way (still disguised as boys), and the group pursues westward together, enduring snake bites, wild horses, and bandits.

I loved how accessible the history is within the story, and how every scene is couched in looming tension, threats, and adventure. Sam and Annamae's cultural backgrounds factor into every aspect of their journey given racial prejudices of the time. This is one of those books that for entire chapters I forgot everything else going on and just immersed myself in the story.

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To buy:
Amazon / B&N / Indiebound

Book Review: First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

First Frost
Sarah Addison Allen
Published: January 2015
Contemporary Fiction/Magical Realism

This is one of those authors who I discovered about a year ago and subsequently went on a mad dash to read all her books. First Frost is the first of her books to continue on with characters from a previous book--Garden Spells. I don't know that you have to read Garden Spells first, but it certainly deepens the experience.

Reading First Frost was like visiting old friends. In book time, nine years have passed since we first met Claire Waverly and her odd family. Claire lives in the old Waverly house she inherited from the grandmother who raised her. Out back they have an apple tree said to give eaters a glimpse into the biggest event of their future, so thankfully the Waverly's themselves are prone to dislike apples. Claire's catering business is successful for the unique recipes that help people feel better about themselves, or give them confidence, all thanks to ingredients from her special garden. Her sisters and cousin have their own subtle abilities, and it's fun to see how this low key magic threads through their lives and the small community they live in.

With First Frost, the crux of the story revolves around a mysterious stranger with secrets, and how the Waverly women struggle with their own identities, mainly reconciling their family legacies with their own desires and plans.

The small town aspect and focus on female friendships gives me a real Gilmore Girls vibe. If you're up for book that does not hinge on a murder or stuff blowing up or people being threatened or hunted or killed, then this is a great comfort read.

Book Review: I'm Glad I Did by Cynthia Weil

I'm Glad I Did
Cynthia Weil
YA Contemporary 1960s
Published: January 2015

This is a great read for younger teens or tweens ready to "read up." Set in 1963 in the music industry, 16-year-old burgeoning songwriter JJ struggles to find her place within her family and among the cultural shifts of the civil rights era. The author is a songwriter who worked in the music industry during this era, which is a fun angle.

JJ feels like the outsider in her family, who frowns on the music industry and creative pursuits. The summer before college (though she's still 16?), JJ strikes a deal with her attorney parents: she can keep the music industry job she just landed so long as she sells a song by the time school starts.

She's learning a lot, but soon the evils of the industry her parents warned her about start to show. JJ has an industry family member who takes her under his wing. Soon, she's seeing just how the deals are made, or not made, and evidence of family secrets. All this is set in the midst of a tumultuous summer of civil rights unrest, protest, and a call for change. Interracial relationships are explored--JJ is Jewish and she has a budding relationship with an African-American boy. The theme of justice runs throughout (cute or not--your call, JJ's real name is Justice, named by her attorney parents).

Given the younger storytelling voice and the moderate depth to which the book explores cultural issues, this is a good option for the younger spectrum of YA.

Book Review: Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Keanneally

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Breathe, Annie, Breathe
Miranda Keanneally
YA Contemporary
Published: July 2014

I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads. From page one, Annie has a goal: complete training to run a marathon in the fall. The marathon her boyfriend was supposed to run before he suddenly passed away.

Annie's journey is not an easy one. First, she doesn't have a lot of money, and the author does a wonderful job of showing just how hard it is when even a $25 entrance fee for a 5k race can be a drain on a family who doesn't have much. Second, Annie does not like running. It doesn't come easy to her, so each leg of her training is a struggle. Even once she improves her conditioning, minor injuries and pains evolve into painful setbacks that threaten her ability to finish the race. If it were just for herself, that's one thing, but she's running in honor of someone else--and everyone knows it. People are counting on her.

The grief Annie experiences is also portrayed heartbreakingly honest without becoming schmaltzy. It's easy to forget Annie is still young given she's going through so much. When Annie meets fellow runner Jeremiah in her training group, she's protective of herself--she's still mourning her boyfriend and not ready to move on, despite how cute and friendly he is. Beyond that, Jeremiah is a daredevil who throws himself into extreme sports with little regard to his own safety. Exactly the type of guy Annie wants to steer clear from. Which makes this a great set-up for a romance :)

I consider this the author's best book since her debut Catching Jordan.

Book Review: Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography

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Choose Your Own Autobiography
Neil Patrick Harris
Memoir
Published: October 2014

The book is written the second person you since yes--this is your adventure, and you get to choose how you partake in the life and times of actor Neil Patrick Harris. A clever concept.

I started out reading this with the same reaction I vaguely remember from a Choose Your Own Adventure book I took out from the library as a kid. "Will you run, or stay behind? To run, go HERE, to stay behind, GO HERE." What if I don't like the outcome, do I go back? But what's on the next page? What if I miss something?

Turns out, reading an autobiography this way is a lot of fun. Plus, it's kind of like living in the future on an e-reader--you can literally skip ahead with the touch of a button! Maybe you don't care to read about a party on Elton John's boat (but you should, because it's surreal), or you'd rather spend your lunchbreak reading about How I Met Your Mother's casting over a more serious topic like how NPH's sexuality was outed by Perez Hilton (though Perez makes a nice statement in the book about his actions).

Most memoir readers probably want the scoop on other celebrities. He only says a few unfavorable things, and not even accusatory, so if you're looking for dirt, this probably isn't the place. Saved by the Bell's Screech is called out for how the actor (Dustin Diamond) defamed NPH in his own autobio. NPH mainly dispels Diamond's tales of him and makes a light barb that's almost so light you'll miss it. And then he's off, recounting the exhilarating experience of  filming Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, being a kid actor on a terrible movie with Little Richard, escapades with Harold and Kumar, 1990s made-for-TV movies. partying with Katy Perry's entourage, and some genuinely moving snippets about falling in love and raising a family. This is a fun read, with the added bonus of being able to read the adventure exactly as you want to.

Book Review: Rites of Passage by Joy Hensley

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Rites of Passage 
Joy Hensley
YA Contemporary
Published: Sept. 2014

From page 1, I was so into this book. Sam McKenna is part of a handful of girls starting at the all-male military academy, the very first group of girls to do so. Her motivation is being from a military-bred family, and a promise--more like a dare--from her older brother to make it through the rigorous training at the Denmark Military Academy. Cementing the dare further, is this older brother committed suicide, so she's determined to live up to their family legacy.

Sam and the other female recruits are threatened, coerced, and belittled by their student superiors, many of whom believe girls have no place at their academy. At every turn, Sam is determined to stick it out and not give up. Being in her head as she resolutely puts up with constant verbal and physical abuse is heartbreaking. Sam finds a few allies, but who she can trust is a constant game. When she uncovers inklings of a secret society, she understands that the drive to keep the academy "traditional" runs even deeper.

This is one of those books that from the first page you know who the character is and what she wants. The military aspects are so tightly wound into the story and character, it makes for a submersive experience. Never in a million years would I want to add boot camp to my high school experience, but Sam's determination is inspiring. Plus, the deeper look at questioning gender and politics comes out organically. A highly recommended read from this debut author!

Book Review: My True Love Gave to Me, YA holiday anthology

My True Love Gave To Me
By: Various YA authors, edited by Stephanie Perkins
Young Adult holiday short stories
Published: Oct. 2014

I'm wrapping up with this short story collection from a really great selection of YA authors. I'd previously read all but two of the twelve authors in the collection, and there is so much variety here, even if you skim or skip ahead, there is a lot to offer.

The stories almost all bear the distinctive mark of their authors. Rainbow Rowell's is absolutely her story from the first page, with the chatty characters and heartfelt awkwardness. Some stories provide surprising depth, including Matt de la Pena and Stephanie Perkins, who touch on deeper family issues. The strangest is Kelly Link's, though I've read a short story collection from her before, which is heavy on magical realism and oddities. Laini Taylor's writing is just gorgeous, which reminds me I need to finish reading her current series.

Plus, all the skaters on the pond in the cover represent the twelve stories in the book! So cute. I highly recommend this and plan to revisit the stories next holiday season.

Book Review: Creed by Trisha Leaver and Lindsay Currie

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Creed
By: Trisha Leaver and Lindsay Currie
Horror/Thriller
Published: November 2014

Creed is the type of book that takes me back to the days of Christopher Pike thrillers. This is a more updated take on the YA thriller, where you will find nary a supernatural being to be found. Just creepy cultists masquerading as perfectly normal townsfolk. *shudder*

At first I thought the tagline was a spoiler: Three went in. Three came out. None even a shadow of who they once were. So, everyone makes it out okay? No suspense there. Except, this doesn't say the SAME three came out. Hmmm.

The story begins with a normal enough scenario: three kids on a road trip to a concert. Dee rides with her boyfriend and his brother, who is along because she bribed him to keep the details as a surprise. Dee forgets her coat since she won't be able to bring it into the venue anyway. When their car breaks down in the middle of northern New York, they trudge through the snow to the nearest town. Cell phone reception patchy at best. In town, they find a gas station completely functional but with no one running it, and no patrons. A walk through town finds the place eerily vacant. Even houses, no one is around. Where are they?

This kept me guessing what would happen next. Violence and gore, so be mindful if that is not your thing. And given how the story wraps up, this is definitely in line with horror, where there isn't quite as neat an ending as you might like, but one that leaves the reader wholly unsettled.

I was lucky enough to meet the authors this fall at a book signing:

Book Review: A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev

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A Bollywood Affair
Sonali Dev
Contemporary Romance
Published: November 2014

A Bollywood Affair is a great entry point to romance. It offers a little something different, with the staples of a contemporary romance. I've had the pleasure of watching this evolve from manuscript to published book, and I'm so excited to share this debut from my fellow Windy City RWA chaptermate.

Mili arrives to the United States from India after living a sheltered life overseen by her very traditional grandmother, who prepares Mili every day for her impending marriage to a husband arranged for her when she was a child. Only it's been over twenty years, and no husband has materialized.

What she doesn't know, is the village ceremony so many years ago did not result in a legal marriage. At least that's what her husband thinks, especially since he's married to another woman. He'd been told the child bride arrangement was handled and done with, as modern Indians did away with such archaic customs. Now, with a baby on the way, he's desperate. He sends his brother Samir to sort out the whole debacle, and to get the girl to sign papers saying the marriage is null. Only Mili's been coached her whole life that this man is who she should live for. That even bettering herself with education is to please her future husband.

Which all is a perfect recipe for disaster and romantic shenanigans when Samir finds Mili. I loved the contrast between old Indian customs and modern values, and also how different Mili and Samir's experiences were adjusting to the U.S., as well as Mili's roommate who is an American-born Indian. The book shows very distinctly that someone's cultural identity is just one facet of them; their family, upbringing, and values matter just as much. As for Bollywood, Samir is a filmmaker, so that's the tie in. Also, family elements tie into the story, as well as a wedding, so there is a real Bollywood flair to the story, especially toward the end.

Since this is a romance, it gets a little spicy! So be forewarned, this isn't your mama's women's fiction book club pick.

Book Review: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

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Isla and the Happily Ever After
Stephanie Perkins
YA Contemporary Romance
Published: August 2014

In the world of YA fiction, this third book in a series of loosely interconnect characters was highly anticipated. Readers return to the elite private school in Paris we were first introduced to in Anna and the French Kiss. Isla is a wonderfully quirky, charming gal whose hometown is NYC, and she crushes hard for dream boy Josh.

They're lovely people who make mistakes and survive many blunders both relatable and fantastic (not many of us have the dilemma of whether to share our secret Paris rooftop hideaway which overlooks the city. Oh, to have such problems). I enjoyed this same world in Anna and the French Kiss, and it's one of the few YA books I've reread in recent years. Both books are romances that don't pretend otherwise. Perkins has a distinct voice that nails the emotion of being young, naive, open, and impulsive. She's built a loyal fanbase, including myself, who want to be friends with her characters.

The curious point for me, as a writer as well as a reader, is only a certain type of author can get away with a book like this, mainly because not much happens in Isla and the Happily Ever After. If you study plot structure, or the Hero's Journey, or Save the Cat beat sheets or any other number of writing advice sources, reading something like this will either be a gentle reprieve from such frustrations as stage acts and turning points, or  you may question, loudly, why nothing is happening other than a crush who doesn't show up for class one morning. The plot here is really secondary to the characters' experience and emotions. Sometimes I need a show like Breaking Bad or Hannibal, other times Rory's failing grade on Gilmore Girls fills what I'm looking for.

This is a book only Stephanie Perkins can write, and I'm grateful for her addition to young adult fiction. These are books about first love that will be exactly what you want if you already like her books. If you're a completist, then you're already going to read it anyway.

Book Review: Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

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Not a Drop to Drink
Mindy McGinnis
Young Adult Dystopian
Published: 2013

I am not huge on dystopian world YA novels. I loved The Hunger Games and Legend. Divergent was OK, and I saw The Maze Runner movie (so you can see my investment waning).

Not a Drop to Drink scales the focus way, way back from governments and factions to one girl and her mother, who live off the grid and spend virtually every waking  moment defending their freshwater pond, as water is scarce. Sixteen-year-old Lynn has known nothing else other than her remote farm, her mother, and a nearby neighbor they are on cautiously friendly terms.

Until Lynn loses her mother (not a spoiler, it happens early), and she is on her own. When people camping nearby need medical attention, Lynn and her neighbor go to help. Only Lynn has been taught not to trust anyone. Even leaving her pond for an hour sets the tension high. Distant smoke sets off alarm bells, and stories of men traveling in packs to steal and destroy cause Lynn to further distrust. Every page there is survival, fear, and determination, and Lynn's struggle between her newfound compassion for others and the strict teachings of her mother provide a boatload of tension.

Warning here: there are some intense scenes in this book, and I will state right out that while there is a romantic thread, this is not a romance. While there is a hopeful ending, this is not a happy shiny rainbows type of book. If you're cool with that, I wholly recommend this book for showing the emotional impact of a post-apocalyptic world-gone-wrong, and one where you don't need to roll your eyes at forced world building. The fears built up in this world are human nature at its core, and that's compelling enough when it's written this well.

The author's companion novel In a Handful of Dust is available as of September 2014.

Book Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

We Were Liars
E. Lockhart
Young Adult Mystery
Published: May 2014

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The Goodreads summary:

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

Oooh, compelling, yes?

This is a more literary take on mystery, and for me, it really worked. The whole time I knew *something* was majorly messed up with this family. Cady, her cousins, and a family friend their age run free and wild on their family's private island (who wouldn't want that?), but among the bickering of the Aunts and Cady's grandparents, something sinister brews.

And then, a tragic accident. Only you, as the reader, only get to know the aftermath--not what actually happened. Cady spends a year with depression and memory loss before she finally returns to the island to sort out what happened. Everything is different. Her cousins aren't the free spirits they once were, and they want to ditch the aunts and hang out by themselves. Even their family friend is acting more mysterious. No one will tell Cady what happened, so she's left to uncover the mystery herself.

It's true, the less you know going in, the more impact. 

Book Review: Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

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 Belzhar

 Meg Wolitzer

 Young Adult Contemporary

 Published: September 2014

I love this premise: emotionally damaged kids surviving their loss at a tucked-away Vermont boarding school, and the teacher who encourages them to journal while reading Sylvia Plath. This book is like gateway reading to The Bell Jar, one of my favorite books. 

Wolitzer is a wonderful writer, with a number of adult market books of note. Plus, I saw her speak at Anderson's Books YA Literature Conference and bought this book a few days prior to its release (special!). I wanted to 5 star this book in the first chapter, though something about the overall execution knocked this down a bit for me. Perhaps my own inflated expectations. 

I read  Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar at fifteen. It's a complex novel exploring depression. Belzhar, which is a take on the words bell jar, takes a somewhat lighter approach, though the trauma the characters have experienced is quite serious. The lead character Jam (a nickname though I can't remember the full name) plays somewhat of an unreliable narrator. All we know going in is that her boyfriend died, and the details are revealed over the course of the book. To me it seemed the story started in a moody place, but ultimately did not go as deep into their grief and depression as I expected. Instead, the story takes a somewhat higher level approach, and focuses on the friendships between the kids enrolled in the special English course they were each handpicked to take. 

Also, there is a mystical element. I thought I'd mention that, though it sort of veers more Magical Realism than fantasy. I would definitely recommend this for teen readers, especially as a companion to reading The Bell Jar, which might make the classic feel more accessible. 

Book Review: Servants of the Storm by Delilah S. Dawson

Servants of the Storm
by: Delilah S. Dawson
YA Paranormal
Published: August 2014

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Do you like the idea of combining Southern Gothic, hurricane aftermath, and abandoned demonic amusement parks? Then this is your bag.

In the year following a hurricane that devastated the city of Savannah, seventeen-year-old Dovey wanders through life in a meaningless fog after watching her best friend Carly get swept up by the storm right before her eyes. Only her fog might not be purely post-traumatic. The mysterious unmarked pills her parents urge her to take every day, and strange sightings--thinking she sees Carly running through the streets--lead her to question what really happened to her best friend.

I loved the Gothic undertones depicting a crumbling and decaying post-storm Savannah, Georgia. The creepy factor is upped further with hints of witchcraft or magic, it's not too clear at the start. Most characters are suspect here, given how Dovey has been in a pharmaceutical haze for the past year, and doesn't know who she can trust. Parts of the mythology reminded me a bit of Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, especially how the paranormal world exists within a contemporary "unknowing" world.

And this book gets creepy. People die, and some pretty brutal things go down. There is definitely a horror element here, though in YA you're never really going to get too far in. Still, I was really impressed at the world set up here, and the exploration of the relationships with Dovey, her allegiance to her friend. Add in her school buddy Baker who's by her side no matter what, and the mysterious Isaac, who possibly holds answers to Carly's disappearance, and there's a love triangle that doesn't really feel like a love triangle, in all the best ways.

Book Review: SEKRET by Lindsay Smith

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SEKRET
By: Lindsay Smith
YA Historical/Paranormal
Published: April 2014

Psychic Russian teen spies. Do you need any more than this? The premise of SEKRET, set in early 1960s Cold War Russia, intrigued me from the start. Yulia is recruited by force by the KGB for her capability to read minds, joining a small group of other teens with similar mind-manipulating abilities. Only, of course, not all is as it seems! Yulia's  father disappeared prior to the story, and her mother and brother are taken right before Yulia is taken in with the KGB. She has quite a bit to uncover with her own family, as well as whether she can trust her fellow students.

I really liked the historical factors which blended actual history with embellished psychic abilities, making this more like a speculative, alternate history, which is really exciting to see in Young Adult. Kind of like a YA spin on the TV show The Americans (though this story actually takes place in Russia).

The love story subplot reads a little clunky, but overall the tension from love interests adds to the story's stakes, so it works. If you're looking for a different read with a bit of suspense, a unique setting, and historical details, SEKRET is a fresh read.

Book Review: Behind the Scenes: Dahlia Adler

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Behind the Scenes
By: Dahlia Adler
YA Contemporary
Published: June 2014

This book has everything: Hollywood, teen TV dramas, prom, and deeper family issues. In Behind the Scenes, Ally's childhood best friend Vanessa is in the Hollywood spotlight, having just been recruited as the lead for a hot new teen soap (think The Vampire Diaries or The O.C. ). Ally, a top student,  may need to sacrifice her Ivy League college dreams after her dad's melanoma diagnosis turns fatal. She picks up a job as her friend's personal assistant where she meets and falls for Vanessa's costar, Liam.

The balance of Hollywood vs. real life felt so realistic here. Seeing, literally, behind the scenes of a TV production with the publicists and paparazzi and the press who skews the truth, makes that whole side of life seem far less glamorous. Ally is a great character because she's loyal to Vanessa, not a TV show. Liam has a great backstory, and his relationship with Ally, with his costars, and his own family are explored and played off of Ally's experience. Lots of conflict that felt realistic despite being set among celebrities and the TV/movie scene.

I recommend this for fans of writers like Sarah Dessen and Morgan Matson. A great summer read with that touch of depth from the family issues to provide a really engaging read.

Book Review: Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland

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Nantucket Blue
Leila Howland
YA Contemporary
Published: May 2013

More summery YA contemporaries! Cricket vows to have a great summer with her best friend Jules on Nantucket island, a place she's yet to go herself though Jules spends every summer there. But when Jules' family befalls tragedy, plans change. Jules takes off for the island with her family decides without Cricket, which deeply affects her given spending time with Jules' family beats solving her own family's issues--a lonely mom and dad who's moved on to a new family. Cricket knows Jules needs her, so she finds summer work on the island, and shows up to surprise Jules.

The flavor of elite vacationers in Nantucket serves as a theme for Cricket's experience. Class issues are explored, as well as family loyalties, and self preservation. Cricket finds her family's hurts follow her to the island, as does Jules'. Cricket's other motivation for a Nantucket summer relates to a boy she knows back home who is also there for summer. But, love has other plans for her....

This is a solid summer contemporary, and a second book Nantucket Red is also available.

Book Review: Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

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Open Road Summer
Emery Lord
YA Contemporary
Published: April 2014

Open Road Summer is summer wish fulfillment: school's out, road trip, celebrity culture, romance. Reagan hops on a tour bus with her best friend Lilah, who happens to be country music's next rising star. Reagan has a lot she's running from: a bad-boy ex, a broken family, general rebelliousness and restlessness now that her bestie no longer attends public school. Of course, there's a guy. Another country music star making his solo comeback after a stint with  a Hanson-like family kids group years earlier.

This is the perfect book to breeze through on a warm day, and the characters have enough depth to keep the story from floating away entirely. Reagan's family troubles are realistic and her reactions similarly real, in both her mistakes and her loyalties. Each main character has a deeper story, with a lot of fun moments thrown in.