Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Age Level: Teen

Format: Book

 

Thirteen Reasons Why is the story of one night in Clay Jenson’s life.  Clay is a normal high school student, a good student and all around nice guy.  One day, when coming home from school, he sees a package addressed to him on the front porch of his house.  When he opens the package, Clay finds seven cassette tapes with each side marked 1 – 13 in blue nail polish.  When he pops the first tape in his father’s tape player, he hears the voice of Hannah Baker, a classmate of his who recently committed suicide.   Clay is one of 13 people to receive the tapes, which tell her story and describe why she decided to commit suicide.  He spends that night listening to Hannah’s voice, visiting the places she wants him to go to, and becoming more and more horrified with the picture her voice paints.  He is also trying to figure out why he is one of the 13.  He knows he never wronged Hannah.

 

I like to read realistic fiction, especially when it comes to teen literature, and there’s really nothing more realistic than this book.  It gives a great depiction of the life of a teen who doesn’t fit in with the rest of her peers, as Hannah doesn’t.  It shows how rumors and innuendos start and how they really ruin a person’s belief in themselves.  Hannah was a normal girl, until one rumor started about her and then that rumor just continued to build into other rumors.  It’s a very compelling story of how we treat other people and how that treatment can really spiral until finally ruining another person’s self esteem.

 

The basic format of the book is set up so the reader will be reading Hannah's voice which is shown in the book by being in italics and then Clay's thoughts and reactions to what was just said.  It is a great format for this type of book as it helps you to get into the minds of both Clay and Hannah.

 

It’s a heartbreakingly real story that will change the way you look at how you treat other people.  You won’t be able to put it down.  I wasn’t.

 

Reviewed by Sara.

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Age Level: Adult
Format: Book

Ever wonder what it would be like to live like Jane Austen did? Well, if you're a major fan of Austen's novels, chances are you've dreamed of Mr. Darcy. In Austenland, Jane Hayes is a thirty-something magazine graphics designer in New York City who has an obsession with Pride and Prejudice, especially the BBC production starring Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. It does not help that every relationship she has been in has ended in some awful way, making her desire the fictitious Mr. Darcy more and more. When she confides to her great-aunt about her obsession, her great-aunt bequeaths Jane the opportunity to spend three weeks in Pembrook Park, a pseudo-Austen world set in the Regency period for Jane Austen devotees. Jane decides to enter Pembrook Park to get rid of her obsession with Mr. Darcy, and men in general, once and for all. What she learns and discovers about herself may just surprise her.

As an adorer of Jane Austen, though not a truly proclaimed Janeite, I really wanted to read this book. I was not disappointed with Austenland . A very quick read, this is something to read while relaxing on a Sunday afternoon. Though the ending is predictable, I enjoyed the storyline and noted similarities between Hale's characters and Austen's characters. Readers who have not read any of Austen's novels may not understand the references to Austen's characters or to Austen's storylines that appear throughout this book.

I would recommend this book to any Jane Austen admirer. For anyone who has dreamed of a Mr. Darcy, read this book!

Reviewed by Jessica

Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer

Age Level: Adult

Format: Book

Agnes, the writer of the food column 'Cranky Agnes', has staked her net worth on the wedding that she's trying to organize for the weekend, but things haven't been going according to plan. Her troubles begin when a dognapper breaks into the house she's recently bought and tries to take her dog at gunpoint. But, being friends with an ex-mobster has its advantages as he sends his Shane to Agnes's home to protect her.

This is a fun read. If you like chick lit with suspense added in, then this may be a book for you. I laughed through this book as you learned about Agnes' past history with frying pans and why she has that little voice in the back of her head. The book is full of action with hitman after hitman either trying to steal Rhett, her hound, or for some reason, kill Agnes. It's hard to talk about much of the plot without giving too much away, so I won't.

I will however, warn those who may be going into this book looking for a traditional romance setup, to suspend those expectations. This book is not primarily a romance. The way Shane and Agnes meet is anything but traditional, and it works that way with pretty much every other relationship in the book as well.

Overall, Agnes and the Hitman is an entertaining romp that is full of quirky characters, lots of family angst, and satisfying resolutions. The only thing I can think of that would have made the book more satisfying would have been if the recipe of Agnes's pecan sour cream buttermilk pancakes had been included.

Reviewed by Sara.

Fowl Weather by Bob Tarte

Age Level: Adult
Format: Book

"How 39 animals and 1 sock monkey took over my life."

Bob Tarte opens a window into his world, a world of feathers, whiskers and floppy ears. Bob and his wife, Linda, live in Michigan with countless ducks, geese, rabbits and cats and are plagued by an old schoolmate who enjoys funerals, butting in and rehousing pampered ducks. Bob Tarte shares 5 years with us, some moments laugh-out-loud funny and others heart breakingly poinant.

From the first page I was hooked. I found myself laughing, crying and unable to put this book down. Through the loss of his father and his mother's battle with alzheimer's disease, Bob clings to his sanity with the help of Linda and the zoo they live in. This book is a must read for all animal lovers, whether you are owned by a single goldfish or "39 animals and 1 sock monkey".

Reveiwed by Lisa

Right Behind You by Gail Giles

Age Level: Teen
Format: Book


"There are three things you need to know about me," he said.
"First, you don't know my real name. 
"Second, I murdered somebody once.
"Third . . . well, maybe number three can wait.  Until you read this."
And he was gone.  Down the stairs into the dark and rain.

When Kip was nine, and living in the Alaskan wilderness with his father, he set another child on fire.  Now, after years of living in a juvenile ward, he and his family are trying for a second start at life.  But the ghosts of his past will not leave him alone and he soon has to reveal his secret.  What happens to Kip and his family when he finally reveals that he really is - or was - a murderer?

Let me start off by saying that if you've read other books by Gail Giles, this one is a little different.  With this book, the crime's at the beginning rather than the end.

It's an amazing portrayal of the humanity of someone who has committed an inhuman act.  The story is riveting.  Kip's movement from first, rage to redemption is an amazing ride.  I found myself rooting for Kip, wanting him to finally lay his demons to rest so he could move on with his life and find happiness, or if not happiness, then at the very least, acceptance of who he is and what he did. 

You move through the stages of his life with him - first in Alaska where the incident happened.  Then in the juvenile ward where he's first catatonic and then as he starts dealing with the issues in his therapy sessions.  From there you move with Kip and his family to Indiana where he has the chance to finally live a relatively normal life, but that slips away.  Finally, you move with Kip and his family to Texas.  It's his last chance to make things right.

This was an amazing story.  Once I started, I couldn't put it down. 

Reviewed by Sara.