Lessons From A Dead Girl - Jo Knowles

Title: Lessons from a Dead Girl
Author: Jo Knowles
Publisher: Candle Wick Press?
Pages: 215
Score: 6.5/10

Leah Greene is dead. For Laine, the pain of knowing what really happened and the awful feeling that she is, in some way, responsible set her on a journey of painful self-discovery.

Yes, she had wished for this. She hated Leah that much. Hated her for all the times in the closet, when Leah made her do those things. They were just practicing, Leah said. Practicing for when they got older and got married. But Laine knew that other girls don't do those things. Do they? Why did Leah choose her? Was she special? Or just easy to control? And why didn't Laine make it stop?

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laine is left to explore the devasting lessons Leah taught her, find some meaing in them, and decided wheter she can forgive Leah and, ultimately, herself.

I can't really decide if I liked this book or not. What Leah made Laine do is sickening, I mean forcing your friend to do that stuff? Woah. This book I think is really about finding yourself, and not let guilt ruin your life. The book also is a short read, although it took me long enough to finish it! But I can't say anything else about this book, I cannot think of anythign else to say.

Perfect You - Elizabeth Scott

Title: Perfect You

Author: Elizabeth Scott

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Pages: 282

Rating: 9.5/10

Kate Brown's life has gone downhill fast. Her father has quit his job to sell vitamins at the mall, and Kate is forced to work with him. Her best friend has become popular, and now she acts like Kate's invisible.

And then there's Will. Gorgeous, unattainable Will, whom Kate acts like she can't stand even though she can't stop thinking about him. When Will starts acting interested, Kate hates herself for wanting him when she's sure she's just his latest conquest.

Kate figures that the only way things will ever stop hurting so much is if she keeps to herself and stops caring about anyone or anything. What she doesn't realize is that while life may not always be perfect, good things can happen -- but only if she lets them....

This is the first book of Scott that I've ever read. I've seen a couple of her books online, but never was interested. So I picked up a copy of Perfect You, and I was blown away. This book follows what every teenage girl eventually goes through. And to be honest, I'm one of them! There's that best friend who seems like she doesn't even know you're even there, that boy who you can't stand but secretly like, and the hassle of family. Going through this book, I could picture it a real life scenero. The characters are perfect and fit it great, I loved the way Will and Kate's relationship just happens. I looked foward to every Kate-Will-Moment. Haha. But yes, I am glad I read an Elizabeth Scott novel, I'm looking foward to reading another!

(:

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

Title: Memoirs of a Teeange Amnesiac
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Publisher: Square Fish
Pages: 304
Rating: 7/10

If Naomi had picked tails, she would have won the coin toss. She wouldn't have had to go back for the yearbook camera, and she wouldn't have hit her head on the steps. She wouldn't have woken up in an ambulance with amnesia. She would certainly would have remembered her boyfriend, Ace. She might even have remembered why she fell in love with him in the first place. She would understand why her best friend, Will, keeps calling her "Chief." She'd get all his inside jokes, and maybe he wouldn't be so fusterated with her for forgetting things she can't possibly remember. She'd known about her mom's new family. She'd know about her dad's fiancee. She wouldn't have to spend her junior year relearning French she supposedly knew already. She never would have met James, the boy with the questionable past and the even fuzzier future, who tells her he once wanted to kiss her. She wouldn't have wanted to kiss him back. But Naomi picked heads.

This book starts out with a coin toss to see who would have to go back and get the camera. Naomi lost, and she had to go back. Thing is, she didn't know what was going to happen. She didn't know she was going to fall head first onto the steps and lose the last four years of her life.
I felt sorry for Naomi because she had to learn and remember everything about the person who she once was. She had to live the life of the person she doesn't know, and she found it hard. If I forgot everything that happened in the last four years, I would be totally depressed. There were so many things that have happened the past four years of my own life.

The characters were put together perfectly, they made the book perfect and they all helped Naomi in some way to remember her last four years. I really liked Will because she helped her the most then anyone ever did, he made CD's and answered every single question. He reminded of all those years my best friend were there for me. I also loved the character James, because there were so many things you didn't know about him, he was soo mysterious.

Overall, I thought the book was okay. I'm not saying it was great, but okay. For some reason I had a hard time getting into this book. But you'll love this book, although I didn't really. It has a good meaning about finding yourself, something every needs a little of right?

Willow by Julia Hoban

Title: Willow
Author: Julia Hoban
Publisher: Penguin Group
Pages: 329
Rating: 10/10

Seven months ago on a rainy March night, Willow's parents drank too much wine at dinner and asked her to drive them home. But they never made it- Willow loast control of the car, and both her parents were killed.

Now seventeen, Willow is living with her older brother, who can barely speak to her. She has left behind her old home, friends, and school. But Willow has found a way to survive, to numb the new reality of her life: She is secretly cutting herself.

And then she meets Guy, a boy as sensitive and complicated as she is. When Guy discovers Willow's secret, he pulls her out of the solitary world she's created for herself, and into a difficult, intense, and potentially life-changing relationship.

I have read many books with this subject before; But none met my expections higher than this book. You could really feel Willow's pain as she tries to overcome the guilt that carries her through the day. In other words, Julia really brought out the characters, just like they were real people. The writing in this book, I have to say, is fantastic. The author really made it feel like you knew the person, feeling the pain they felt. I've never had that happen in any other book like this one. I honestly wanted to read the book as slowly as I can because I didn't want it to end. The cover of this book really shows the meaning throughout the book, it fits perfectly. I have to say, I was seriously thinking that each piece, or strip was actually glued on there... That was lame wasn't it? Hah, sorry guys. But anyways! I nearly cried at the end of the book because it came to together so well, the pain and relief that came out at you from every side... I was happy for Willow.
I feel I didn't give this book review justice, words just can't desribe how good this book was! You all should go buy or borrow this book, you'll love it!
(:

Breathing By Cheryl Renee Herbsmann

Title: Breathing
Author: Cheryl Renee Herbsman
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Pages: 265
Rating: 9/10

Savannah would be happy to spend the summer in her coastal Carolina town working at the library and lying in a hammock reading her beloved romance novels. But then she meets Jackson. Once they lock eyes, she’s convinced he’s the one—her true love, her soul mate, a boy different from all the rest. And at first it looks like Savannah is right. Jackson abides by her mama’s strict rules, and stays by her side during a hospitalization for severe asthma, which Savannah becomes convinced is only improving because Jackson is there. But when he’s called away to help his family—and seems uncertain about returning—Savannah has to learn to breathe on her own, both literally and figuratively.

I really liked this book, it made me feel like I was at a vacation in the South! By reading the back cover of this book, I was automatically drawn into the book. I figured that since it was getting warmer, I'd find a nice summer/spring read, and I found Breathing. Seeing the struggle that Savannah and Jackson go through with the distance sometimes broke my heart, because she needed him in more ways than he thought. I have to put this out, I had some trouble with the dialect in the book; it's not that I couldn't read it or whatever, it's just that I found it hard to follow along. But I sort of liked it that way, it made me feel like I was in the South... Ha. The ending was the most greatest ending I've seen in a book. It shows her that she CAN breathe on her own and she ends with doing something she always wanted to do! Go out and get this book, you'll love it!

Going to Far by Jennifer Echols

Title: Going Too Far
Author: Jennifer Echols
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 245
Rating: 10/10

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from highschool. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisioned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far...and almost doesn't make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge-and over...

I've never, ever, read an novel by Jennifer Echols. I have got to say, I'm super glad that I took the time and read it. At first, I thought that the title didn't even fit correctly, but as I got into the book, I was proved wrong. Of all the romance books, like this one, I never got a message from it. This one did, it shows that if you even think you know someone, you have to think twice because there are things you don't even know. I loved the relationship between John and Meg, even though it's quite complex. The way they both met each other is one I would NOT want to start with, but you can actually see it coming together! You've got to read this book, you'll love it!

About me; About Blog

I honestly started this blog out of boredum. It was one of those typical days where you can't think of ANYTHING to do, has anyone ever had one of those days? You may see a similer name like this at another blog, that's mine, but I forogt all the log in stuff! Anyways, this is just a random blog with young adult book reviews. It's not going to be one of those typical book review sites, for I don't constantly buy books, but take them from the library. Alrighty? My reviews are going to suck a bit, but I promise they'll get better! (:

But yeah, I'm Kelsey; You can call me Kaylynn also, because it's one of my nicknames...You choose, I'll answer to both, (: But I prefer Kaylyn, FYI. I'm sixteen and I'm a sophomore in high school. I love to read. I'm not obsessed, but I love how reading takes you somewhere else than where you're at now. I love to text, listen to music, and hang out with my lovely friends. Just an average teenager, with a little twist :D