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Dealing with a monster is nothing new for Scarlet, a 33-year-old single mother of two girls.  After all, she does battle with her slutty ex-husband every day.  Nate Oxford fights a boring desk job that's about as fulfilling as his marriage.  Being with his 7-year-old daughter is about the only thing that gives his life meaning.  Eighteen-year-old Miranda Hayes' only concern is getting away, road-tripping with her sister and their boyfriends. 

These three very different people are going about their daily business when the world goes stark, raving mad.  A vicious outbreak is consuming people all over the globe, turning them into bloodthirsty zombies.  None of them are safe.  All of their panicked minds come up with the same solution—Red Hill.  Although the isolated ranch doesn't belong to any of them, they head there anyway, praying to be let inside.  

As the fates of the trio intertwine, they must learn to trust each other in order to survive.  But as their world becomes an increasingly deadly place, the question becomes not just how to keep going, but why?  Is it worth living if it means doing so without their loved ones in a world gone hopelessly awry?  

I've read a lot of zombie novels and Red Hill by Jamie McGuire is pretty much the same as all the rest.  It's more upbeat, true, but it's still the same ole same ole.  McGuire's characters are likable, although they all seem pretty blasé about the whole zombie thing.  Their emotions, especially at first, just don't ring very true.  Because Red Hill takes place in a remote location, it's not as action-packed as other horror novels—really, the story is more about the humans than the zombies.  All in all, though, this is a pretty average monster novel.  There's nothing new or original about it.  Thus, it was just an okay read for me.    

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other zombie novels)

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(Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for Just Call My Name, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, I'll Be There.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

With his violent, schizophrenic father behind bars, 17-year-old Sam Border can finally take a breath.  At long last, he can live the normal life he's always dreamed of.  It's a good life, too.  He's enrolled in school; dating sweet, pretty Emily Bell; and watching his autistic younger brother blossom under Emily's mother's care.  That's a Happily Ever After in Sam's book.  

Then, he meets Destiny Verbeck, a vivacious mystery girl who cashiers at a variety shop near the restaurant where Emily works.  Sam recognizes in Destiny a kindred spirit, someone who, like him, has lived a rougher life than Emily could possibly imagine.  The closer he gets to Destiny, the more distant he feels from Emily.  Sam doesn't want to lose her, but something in him refuses to believe someone as innocent and pure as Emily could really want someone like him. 

In the midst of their relationship trouble comes the last person either one of them expects to see outside a jail cell.  Clarence Border is out and looking for revenge.  Can anyone survive his deadly wrath?  Can Sam and Emily overcome all the odds stacked against them and finally be left in peace to pursue the love that keeps them glued together?  Or will they be torn apart by Clarence or Destiny or both?  

After reading (and loving) I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan, I couldn't wait to dive into its sequel, Just Call My Name.  Even though the first book wrapped up to my satisfaction, I still wanted to check in on Sam, Riddle, and Emily.  That's how deeply they were lodged in my heart!  Just Call My Name starts off pretty tame.  The conflict with Destiny feels forced and gets really irritating really fast.  I was glad when the action picked up in the second half of the novel, perking up the story significantly.   The tense, adrenaline-fueled ending definitely made up for a slower beginning.  In the end, I didn't adore Just Call My Name like I did I'll Be There, but I did enjoy it.  If you like compelling heart-tuggers that are a little outside the norm, give these two books a go.  You won't regret it.

(Readalikes:  I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan; also reminds me a bit of The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson)  

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Thanks to his erratic, nomadic father, 17-year-old Sam Border wouldn't recognize a stable family life if it alighted on the end of his nose.  He does his best to protect his odd little brother from harm, but Sam knows Rudolph ("Riddle") deserves better than their itinerant existence.  With their father always on the run from the law, the boys have never stayed in one place long enough to put down roots.  Sam longs for a normal life, one that includes school, friends, and safety for both himself and Riddle.  Especially Riddle, who's always silent, always sickly, always starving.    

When the boys manage to break away from their father, they're in even more danger than usual.  They can't attract any unwanted attention.  That plan goes awry as soon as Sam meets the The Bell Family in a small Oregon town.  He's attracted to 17-year-old Emily, not just because she's pretty, but also because she's kind.  Her close-knit family exudes the kind of warmth and love Sam and Riddle have never known.  Sam can't explain to her what the boys' life has been like—she wouldn't understand.  At all.  He keeps his secrets close to his own heart, even as he gives it, piece by broken piece, to Emily.

Just when it looks like Happily Ever After has come along to save the boys, their father, Clarence Border, returns with a vengeance.  No one is exempt from his wrath, especially not Sam and Riddle, whose betrayal Clarence will never forgive.  How will they survive—how does anyone survive—when hope has been so cruelly snatched away?

I'll Be There, Holly Goldberg Sloan's debut novel, is an unforgettable tale that stretches across genre borders.  It's a family drama, a romance, and a survival story all rolled up into one well-rounded story.  The characters come alive, the plot speeds along at a breathless clip, the prose sings with lyrical, luminous beauty—seriously, what's not to like here?  Compelling and unique, I'll Be There is a tender, touching novel that quite simply should not be missed.  In case you can't tell, I loved it.  

(Readalikes:  Just Call My Name by Holly Goldberg Sloan; also reminds me a bit of The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson)

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The Lost Boys of Sudan were often in the news during the civil war that took place in that region from about 1983 to 2002.  Their plights captured the attention of Americans (like myself) who simply could not imagine how these children managed to survive so much violence and bloodshed in such a parched, unforgiving landscape.  After hearing the story of Salva Dut, a real Lost Boy, Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park decided his experience needed to be shared.  A Long Walk to Water is the memorable, based-on-a-true-story result.   

The book focuses on two 11-year-old children, whose tales take place almost 20 years apart—Salva and a fictional girl named Nya.  Nya (in 1985) is a poor girl from the Nuer tribe, whose household chores involve fetching water for her family from a faraway pond.  Every day, she walks to the source, fills a container with the life-sustaining liquid, and trudges back home balancing the full bucket on her head.  She empties it into jars, then repeats the journey.  Nya spends all day, every day, walking to and from the pond.  Salva (in 2008) is the son of a village judge.  When he's not in school, he helps his father take care of the family's cattle.  He's a member of the Dinka tribe, enemies of the Nuers.  When rebel fighters burst into his school with guns, Salva hides in the bush.  Thus begins his long, terrifying march through Sudan, Ethiopia, and eventually to safety at a refugee camp in Kenya.

A Long Walk to Water is a slim, spare novel.  Nonetheless, it tells a vivid, moving tale that manages to be both harrowing and hopeful.  Salva's courage and resilience are testaments to the power of human beings to overcome even the most desperate of circumstances.  The fact that he gives back so powerfully (see Water for South Sudan: Drilling Holes, Transforming Lives) proves that love really does conquer all.  His is a powerful, important story that will open eyes and touch hearts.  I highly recommend the read.

(Readalikes:  Reminded me of Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate)

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