Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: Nowhere Near You by Leah Thomas

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Nowhere Near You by Leah ThomasNowhere Near You
Leah Thomas
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published February 7, 2017

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After Ollie’s mother died, he left home with Dr. Auburn-Stache to travel the United States meeting other kids with bizarre abilities resulting from lab experiments. In letters to Moritz, the German boy with no eyes who has become his best friend, Ollie relates the journey. He meets a boy with bones so brittle they snap like chalk, and a girl who removes her heart when her feelings become too intense. Inspired by Ollie’s cross-country adventure, Moritz makes a journey of his own, joining a prestigious school where he … Continue reading →

Review: Unfolding by Jonathan Friesen

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Unfolding by Jonathan Friesen

Unfolding
Jonathan Friesen
Blink
Published January 31, 2017

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About Unfolding

Jonah’s been in love with Stormi pretty much since the day the twister plucked her up from her home and set her down unhurt in his neighbor’s yard. Mysterious, beautiful, and a gifted mechanic, Stormi often senses things before they come to pass. When one of her premonitions results in a girl’s death, the town rallies against her. Jonah follows her, determined to clear Stormi’s name. In the process, he uncovers a dark secret the town has kept for most of his life.

My Review

Friesen has this ability in his writing to craft guys you can’t … Continue reading →

Review: A List of Cages by Robin Roe

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A List of Cages
Robin Roe
Disney-Hyperion
Published January 10, 2017

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Julian’s life is a tightrope walk. At school, he hides from belligerent teachers and from his trouble reading. At home, he tiptoes around the house where he’s not allowed to touch anything, where the only things that belong to him are the possessions in the trunk his parents gave him.

When the school counselor gets tired of Julian dodging his appointments with her, she sends her aide, a senior named Adam to find Julian. Adam quickly recognizes Julian as the foster brother who lived with him and his mom five years ago. Now, though, Julian isn’t the chatty kid he once was, and Adam … Continue reading →

Review: Almost There by Laurel Garver

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Almost There
Laurel Garver
Createspace
Available May 17, 2016

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Just before Dani and her mother escape to Paris for healing and restoration, Dani learns that her grandfather has been hospitalized. The Paris trip was supposed to be the inspiration to create the artwork that will make Dani’s mother a star, plus the project that will save Dani’s own grade in art class. Now, unless Dani can fix up her grandfather’s house, repair the damaged relationships between him and his children, and find someone to care for the ornery man while they’re gone, her trip is a lost cause.

Dani can’t give up, especially when she learns of her grandmother’s dreams that one day her … Continue reading →

Review: Life in a Fishbowl by Len Vlahos

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Life in a Fishbowl
Len Vlahos
Bloomsbury Books
Available January 3, 2017

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Fifteen-year-old Jackie Stone’s whole life turns upside down when she discovers not only that her father has a terminal brain tumor, but that he’s decided to auction his life for sale on ebay. As a reality show executive takes control of her family’s lives, Jackie’s whole life begins to come apart. She finds allies in an online community and the courage to fight for her privacy and her family’s dignity. Together they fight to get the cameras out of the house and win her family’s lives back.

Life in a Fishbowl is totally different than Vlahos’s earlier novels. The story follows … Continue reading →

Review: The Radius of Us by Marie Marquardt

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The Radius of Us
Marie Marquardt
St. Martin’s Griffin
Available January 17, 2017

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Gretchen lives a small life. It started the night a man forced her to the ground and then told her to run, his own terror taking hold of her. Now she keeps to the small safe neighborhood surrounding her home, places where nothing bad can happen. And then she meets the boy who looks like him. Like the one who attacked her. When she meets Phoenix, though, she isn’t afraid. Something about the way he listens, the way he asks the right questions, the way he carries his own trauma and fear, makes her trust him. Soon she’s tangled up … Continue reading →