Book reviews
Title: Meet Me Here
Author: Bryan Bliss
Call Number: FIC BLI
Thomas has one night to decide his future. Will he or won’t he ship out with the Army in the morning? If he does, will he come home suffering from PTSD like his brother? Unexpectedly, that same night becomes an opportunity to fix mistakes of the past and build on new relationships with family and friends. As the long night comes to an end, Thomas learns what courage is and is able to move forward.
Similar Titles: The Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt and The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson
Title: Love and Gelato
Author: Jenna Evans Welch
Call #: FIC WEL
Lina arrives in Italy to fulfill her mother’s dying wish; get to know the father she never knew she had. As she counts down the days to returning home to the states, Lina meets Ren. With the help of her mom’s journal and Ren, Lina experiences the Italy her mom fell in love with. As Lina follows in her mom’s footsteps, she discovers that everything isn’t as it seems, and that love can be found in Italy.
Simialr Titles: The Boy on the Bridge by Natalie Standiford and Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Title: The Matched Series
Author: Ally Condie
Call #: FIC CON
For those who love the Divergent series, the Matched series offers a similar story. The series is told through the alternating viewpoints of Cassia, Xander, and Ky. The trio work together to find freedom from a society that no longer offers the choice to choose. The twists and turns will keep you guessing and reaching for the next book.
Divergent Series by Veronica Roth and Nil Series by Lynne Matson
Title: Dangerous Lies
Author: Becky Fitzpatrick
Call Number: FIC FIT
Estella’s life takes an unwilling turn after witnessing a murder. Forced into witness protection until she testifies, she is moved from urban Pittsburgh to farm country Nebraska. Stella is forced to look at her life in a new way. She no longer only answers to herself, and slowly she finds that having people care about her isn’t so bad. Unfortunately, danger follows her wherever she goes and Stella will have to choose between her new life and protecting those she loves.
Similar Titles:
Fake ID by Lamar Giles
Don’t look back by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Title: Boys of Summer
Author: Jessica Brody
Call Number: FIC BRO
Ian, Grayson, and Mike have been best friends since they were six years old, and have always spent summers on the island together. They wish for another ‘Epic’ summer, one that will erase the trauma they have they experienced during the past year that they don’t want to share with their friends. Affected by loss, heartbreak, and a life-changing injury, the boys make decisions that cause conflict and mistrust within the group. It’s not until one is pushed to the breaking point that they discover that friendship means more than just hanging out.
Boys of Summer was a quick read that delved right into the middle of friendship, romance, and trust.
Similar Titles: Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland and Just One Day by Gayle Foreman
Title: Tell Me Three Things
Author: Julie Buxbuam
Call Number: FIC BUX
After already reeling from the loss of her mother; Jessie’s father meets someone online, marries a woman behind Jessie’s back, and forces Jessie to move from urban Chicago to sunny California. Jessie feels like she doesn’t fit in at her new school and her confidence drops. Just as she is about to run back to Chicago on her own, Jessie begins getting messages from the mysterious SN.
Jessie starts to confide in SN, while he is giving her advice on people at school. Slowly, Jessie finds her place and learns to embrace her new environment. But will she ever discover who it was helping her all long?
Tell Me Three Things is a great story for those who want a story about overcoming loss, a story about friendship, finding out who you are, and a love story that will keep you guessing. This book will have you both laughing and in tears at the same time.
Similar Titles:
This is what happy looks like by Jennifer E. Smith
Hung Up by Kirsten Tracy
Title: Exit, Pursued by Bear
Author: E.K. Johnston
Call Number: FIC JOH
Palermo High School is known for two things: First, their competition cheer team; Second, that every class has one student who dies and one that ends up pregnant. Since Hermione’s grade school friend died in a horrific accident when they were younger, she dares her class to not fulfill the pregnancy prophecy. Sadly, Hermione becomes a victim herself, and navigates what life means when the unthinkable happens. As she deals with the aftermath of rape, Hermione shows that while she can’t control the past, she can have a say in her future.
Similar Titles:
The way I used to be by Amber Smith
After the Woods by Kim Savage
Title: An Ember in the Ashes
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Call Number: FIC SAB
A fast-paced fantasy plot, the dual narrative tells the story of life under the oppressive Martials from the alternating points of view of Laia and Elias. Scholars live in poverty serving the Martials as slaves. They aren't allowed to read or write for the punishment is death. To maintain such order, the Empire has special warriors with deadly weapons to keep the Scholars in their place. If a Martials' child is accepted into the Blackcliff academy, they train to become these deadly warriors known as The Masks. Laia is a Scholar and Elias is a highborn Mask in training. After Laia's brother Darin is taken away by Martials, the rest of her family murdered, Laia goes undercover at the Mask academy in an effort to get Darin back at any cost. Elias is a highborn student at Blackcliff, training to be a Mask. But he wants no part of it and plans to desert only to be pulled back in by the Trials. Elias starts to have conflicting feelings for the slave girl Laia. With a lot of twists and turns, the story is filled with tension, excitement, and non-stop action.
Similar Titles:
The Remnant Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson
Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas