(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Bee Hemming always looks out for her younger sister.  Always.  It doesn't matter that they're 26 and 21 respectively or that they live in different countries—when Tess needs her, Bee's there.  She's used to Tess's drama, her emotional neediness and her impulsive decisions, so when Bee learns that Tess has disappeared, she assumes it's just another one of Tess's stunts.  Still, she boards the first flight she can get to London, intending to give her flighty sibling a piece of her mind.  Then, the police find Tess's body.  Although the death is ruled a suicide, Bee knows her sister would never take her own life.  She refuses to leave England until she not only convinces the authorities that Tess was murdered, but also catches the killer.

The more Bee delves into her sister's private life, the more disturbed she becomes—she learns Tess was pregnant by her married lover; bothered by an obsessed stalker; and involved in a controversial medical trial.  Any of these situations could have led to her death.  And then there's the possibility of suicide.  It's not an option Bee wants to believe, even if it's looking more and more likely.  Bee's dogged pursuit of the truth is taking a toll on her own personal life, but she refuses to quit.  She must solve the mystery of Tess' death before she can move on.  Even if it kills her—which it just might.

Sister by English author Rosamund Lupton is the kind of book I usually enjoy.  It's got a mysterious death, it's got a strong, but complicated sister bond, it's got some twisty plot curves, it's got solid writing.  So, yeah, totally my thing.  Except I didn't love it.  I liked it, but the truth is, the story's pretty anticlimactic until right at the very end.  And Bee's not the type of character that steps into your heart and never leaves.  She's sympathetic, but too cold to be really likable.  Still, there were enough surprises in Sister to keep me (mostly) interested.  Is Lupton my new favorite writer?  No.  Will I try her again?  Probably, although I'm not rushing out to get everything she's ever written.  Sister kept me reading, but didn't win my eternal book love.  Oh well.

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything off the top of my head.  Can you?)

Grade:  B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  R for language, violence and depictions of illegal drug use

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

Carissa and Jeff

Congratulations!  Carissa, if you will please send me your mailing address (blogginboutbooksATgmailDOTcom), I will forward it on to Melanie Jacobson, who will be mailing out your book.  

Thank you to all who entered this giveaway.  I enjoyed reading your responses!  There were many, which makes me think I should give away more LDS books.  Yes?  Okay, I'll plan on it.  

If you didn't win this time, never fear—I'll have more book giveaways coming up this year and next.  Definitely stay tuned.  

Jake Rideout

Congratulations!  If you would please send me your mailing address (blogginboutbooksATgmailDOTcom), I'll get the book out to you just as soon as I can.  

If you didn't win this time, never fear—I always have more giveaways coming down the pipe.  You'll definitely want to stay tuned.

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

When Jill MacSweeney's mother announces her plans to adopt a baby, the 17-year-old can't figure out how she's supposed to feel.  Excited?  Angry?  Encouraging?  Sad?  All of those emotions and more ricochet around inside her, because although the adoption idea has come out of nowhere, Jill can see it for what it is—a lonely woman's attempt to replace her dead husband and college-bound daughter with someone who needs mothering.  Jill understands, but she can't quite get behind such an extreme decision.  Her mother won't be dissuaded, though, so, because she knows it's what her dad would want, Jill's trying her best to be supportive.  At least until she can convince her mom to vent her grief in some less drastic way.

Mandy Kalinowski knows the baby growing inside her will be safe with Robin MacSweeney.  Even though she's old (52) for an adoptive mother, Robin seems steady, stable—two adjectives that don't describe 18-year-old Mandy at the moment.  It's because of the woman's kind emails that Mandy decides to let Robin adopt her baby when its born.  Also, because she agrees to an unconventional adoption, with no contracts, no lawyers.  With Robin, Mandy can give her baby a better life and not have to let go of any of her closely-guarded secrets.  

Mandy's arrival in Denver leaves Jill even more convinced that taking in the pregnant 18-year-old is a bad, bad idea.  Mandy seems shifty, secretive—the exact kind of scam artist that could take her already vulnerable mother for everything she's got.  But the more Jill gets to know Mandy, the more she sees the scarred girl underneath the rough exterior.  And the more she observes her mom, the more she believes that a baby might be just what Robin needs.  At the same time, Mandy's got her own agenda, one that might dash every dream Robin has left.  With the baby's due date fast approaching, the three women must learn how to understand each other, trust each other and, ultimately, decide how to proceed when all of their hopes, dreams and goals are on the line.  

Well, I did a pretty shoddy job of describing the beauty that is Sara Zarr's fourth novel, How to Save a Life. Maybe, being an adoptive mother, I'm predisposed to like books that are about a subject that's so close to my heart.  Or, more probably, Zarr just knows how to write a story that's touching without being saccharine and sentimental.  Because, the truth is, I totally felt this one.  The characters are sympathetic, complex and genuine.   Same could be said for the story, which takes some surprising turns, but remains believable, true.  How to Save a Life is just one of those books that engaged me from its first word to its last.  It's a heart-wrenching, hopeful novel, one that reminds me why I love contemporary YA so much.  I wish I had the words to describe how much the story touched me, but I don't, so I'll leave you with these two words instead:  Read it.       

(Readalikes: Reminds me a teensy tiny bit of Chosen by Chandra Hoffman)

Grade:  A

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG-13 for language (1 F-bomb, plus milder invectives) and some sexual content 

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find