Send Me Down a Miracle - Han Nolan

There's a startling, almost itchy moment in every adolescent's life when she or he first realizes that adults are fallible. Yet, for 14-year-old Charity, the revelation is even more profound: not only is her dad (the town's preacher) merely wrong about the eccentric Adrienne Dabney, he's dang-blasted and over-the-top wrong. Although she's always been a perfect preacher's daughter, Charity is about to shock the whole town by standing up to her father, proving him wrong in front of God and everyone.

Very good read - Very much infused with religion so I don't recommend it if you don't believe in God. It's about a girl named Charity who is the preacher's daughter and has always been a goody goody until Adrienne moves into town. She's very different and artistic, doesn't care what people think and Charity is drawn to her. Then Adrienne claims to have seen God in a chair in her home and it turns their town completely upside down.

****

A Northern Light - Jennifer Donnely

Sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey has big dreams but little hope of seeing them come true. Desperate for money, she takes a job at the Glenmore, where hotel guest Grace Brown asks her to burn a bundle of secret letters. But when Grace's drowned body is fished from the lake, Mattie discovers the letters reveal the grim truth behind a murder.

What an incredible book! An all-time favorite for me. Mattie is 16 in the year 1906 and takes work at a hotel where she accepts letters from a woman to burn. When the woman turns up dead in the lake, it's up to Mattie to discover to see if it was a homicide or sucide. This was based on a true story and is amazing. Highly recommend it!

*****

Unwind - Neil Shusterman

In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would "unwind" them.

Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can't be harmed -- but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away.  

A very adventurous and heart pounding novel! I found many times where I was turning the pages and holding my breath at the same time. I thought it was so interesting how the teenagers came together and their different stories. I'm not sure I could pick a favorite character!

The writing was really good and thought it was very well done. I really like Neil Shusterman as an author and look forward to his other books.

****

The Bright Forever - Lee Martin

On an evening like any other, nine-year-old Katie Mackey, daughter of the most affluent family in a small town on the plains of Indiana, sets out on her bicycle to return some library books.

This simple act is at the heart of The Bright Forever, a suspenseful, deeply affecting novel about the choices people make that change their lives forever. Keeping fact, speculation, and contradiction playing off one another as the details unfold, author Lee Martin creates a fast-paced story that is as gripping as it is richly human. His beautiful, clear-eyed prose builds to an extremely nuanced portrayal of the complicated give and take among people struggling to maintain their humanity in the shadow of a loss.

This book is about a little girl named Katie who was kidnapped in the 1960's-1970's time frame. The book has about five main characters: Mr. Dees (Katie's tutor), Ray (Mr. Dees friend), Clare (Ray's wife), Gilley (Katie's brother), and Junior (Katie's father). They all are intertwined with this kidnapping and it was really interesting to see how they came together and the interactions between them. It was an excellent read and I couldn't put it down because I just HAD to know what happened next. I love books like that! Definitely a favorite and definitely recommend it!

*****

Come Back - Claire and Mia Fontaine

How does an honor student at one of Los Angeles's finest prep schools- a nice girl from a happy, loving home- trade school uniforms and afternoons at the mall for speedballs in the back of a truck in rural Indiana? How does her devoted mother emerge from the shock of finding that her daughter has not only disappeared but had been living a secret life for more than a year?

I thought this would be a good book to read since I have experience with a family member suffering addiction. It didn't disappoint. Amazing book, it's from both Mia and Clair's POV and your heart breaks for both of them. Even if you don't have someone suffering, it teaches you humanity and how to be kind and understanding to people.

*****