TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE by Jenny Han

Lara Jean writes a "farewell" letter to the boys she loves when she is ready to let them go emotionally. She writes the letter, gets some closure, and then she saves it in a special hatbox her mom gave her. But when two of the boys walk up to her, holding her letters in their hands, Lara Jean's secrets are out and she'll have to figure out where she stands.

This was a fun "what if" story that is well-balanced with a strong family story. Lara Jean is still growing up and figuring out who she is and who she wants to be -- at home, at school and in her personal life. And these letters really complicate that process for awhile, but they also force Lara Jean to look at her life and her choices from a different perspective. Great read!

4 out of 5 stars
This is a story for teens/young adults/adults due to language and adult themes.

WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart

The liars - Cady, Mirren, Johnny and Gat. Cousins. Friends. Summering together every year on the family's private island. Until "summer fifteen" when everything changed. Cady can't remember what happened - only that she had an accident and has a traumatic brain injury that gives her debilitating migraines. But now, she wants to know what really happened.

Wow. This isn't my usual style of book. Some of the writing and descriptions were more figurative and flowery than I usually read. The family dynamics in the story were captivating - great love, manipulation, keeping up appearances, drinking to excess. I don't want to say much more than "wow" because this is a story that needs to be experienced first hand and not spoiled for maximum enjoyment. I will say that I had read that the ending would be stunning, so I was trying to guess the ending - solve it like a mystery. But I never came close to the truth in my guessing.

4 out of 5 stars
For teens/young adults/adults. Language, alcohol use.

FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell

Cather and her twin sister, Wren, are leaving for college. Wren is the more vocal sister, pushing for separation and independence from her twin, leaving Cather more than a little lost. Throughout their freshman year, Cather tries to find her own way and her own place both at college and in life.

That summary doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of all the things going on in this novel. And all of it is fabulous! I loved Cather's voice and her journey. I got lost in the beautiful writing (instead of distracted by it which was awesome). I loved the relationship Cather develops with Levi and Reagan and the relationship with her father. The strain with Wren and with their mother was believable and not easily resolved which made it even more realistic. The Simon Snow fan fiction Cather writes was fun to read - parallels to Harry Potter were obvious and only a little distracting at first. I read this while at Phoenix Comic Con which gave an extra depth to Cather's love and fanaticism for Simon Snow. My only complaint was the ending. I wanted more - more details on her final paper, her relationships and her future. The whole book was delightful! I would read this one again. 

5 out of 5 stars.

This is for high school students and older readers. Profanity, underage drinking, homosexuality, and mental illness are among the concepts explored in this book. This is also a book about writing, about identity, and about independence and growing up.

BONUS BLOG: What Should I Read Next?

I know I don't usually blog here on Tuesdays, but I wanted to share this with all of my readers, both here and on my personal blog. This is a fun graphic from Teach.com to help readers of young adult fiction figure out what to read next. Teach.com also sent me some background information on the flowchart - take a look.


Teach.com, a comprehensive online resource dedicated to helping great teachers use resources to support students in their learning and development, has just released the Young Adult Summer Reading Flowchart—a follow up to their successful Summer Reading Flowchart. This year, they addressed a second demographic, focusing on books for young adults across many genres; though, these books can appeal to people of all ages. The past few years have seen the mass popularity of young adult novels and series, including Twilight and the Hunger Games, as well as the revival of a few older books. The Young Adult Summer Flowchart walks you through roughly 100 books, asking questions about a series of genres and themes to help young adult readers to arrive at the perfect book. The chart helps students who are looking for a specific title, or those who have yet to establish what they are looking for. The summer months is a break from school, but shouldn’t be a break from learning (and by extension, reading). The Young Adult Summer Reading Flowchart is a fun infographic to help students get excited about reading and finding the right book for them.

Brought to you by Teach.com

YOUNG ADULT: Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer

Sarah Strohmeyer is a favorite author of mine, and when I saw she was going to have a young adult novel out this year, I couldn't wait to read it. I was not disappointed.

Smart Girls is about Gigi, Bea and Neerja - brilliant best friends who should be enjoying their high school years. The world should be their oyster, but in reality, they are so focused on achieving an Ivy League future, they are completely missing the present. So each girl takes on a challenge - Gigi runs for student representative,  Bea takes up skiing again, and Neerja starts looking at more than just stage crew for her time in Drama Club. The question is, can three smart girls get more out of high school than a high GPA?

This was a delightful story! I loved the three girls, especially Gigi. Her evolution over the course of the novel from "no one" to a voice to reckon with was very satisfying. My favorite character, though, was a secondary one named Mike who did not turn out to be what he appeared to be at the beginning of the story. My students are a little too young for this story, but if they were older, I would recommend this to them in a heart-beat. 


4 out of 5 stars
This book does not have an AR rating.


Recommended for: readers 14 and up, girls who need a little inspiration to find their own voice.