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Now that Andrew Jensen's turned 12, he's ready to take on the grown-up responsibilities that come with being a deacon (if you don't know what this means, click here).  Maybe.  Turns out, it's not as easy as he thought it would be.  Passing the sacrament is scarier than it looks (especially when no one tells you your fly's down), getting along with his quorum members may be downright impossible (especially after his big Capture the Flag blunder) and joining his Scout troop on a backpacking trip through the desert is starting to feel like the worst decision he's ever made (especially considering the unceasing rain, his irritating bunk mate and, oh yeah, the bear).  Andrew may not survive his first Scout overnighter without some divine intervention—luckily, he's the one who's saying all the prayers.  Oh, wait ... 

When the outing takes a serious turn for the worse, Andrew has to rally all of his courage, all of his cleverness, and all of his faith to save himself and his friends.  But, nothing's gone right for him so far, can he really expect his luck to change now?  Or will his first Scout campout turn out to be his last?

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What if one mistake defined you for the rest of your life?  

When 13-year-old Deanna Lambert is caught with a high school boy in the backseat of his car, she earns the unofficial title of "town slut."  Three years later, she still can't shake her reputation—even though she hasn't so much as kissed a guy in the time since her dad yanked 17-year-old Tommy Webber off her.  She could have become a nun and guys would still proposition her in the school hallways.  Deanna can't wait to leave her small California town in the dust, can't wait to ditch the catcalls, the assumptions and, most of all, the constant look of disappointment in her dad's eyes.  There's nothing Deanna craves more than a fresh start.  

Deanna's determined to move out of her parents' house the moment her big brother Darren does.  She'd rather live with him, his girlfriend and their baby than spend another night under the same roof as her shamed father.  But leaving requires money, which requires Deanna to take a crappy job at the same grungy pizza parlor where Tommy Webber works.  As she comes face-to-face with that blast from the past, Deanna will have to work through her own insecurities and fears in order to prove to everyone that she's more than just a label—much, much more.

After falling in love with Sara Zarr's most recent novel, How to Save a Life, I knew I needed to read everything the author's ever written.  Like, now.  I decided to start with Zarr's debut book, Story of a Girl.  Since it was a contender for the 2007 National Book Award, I figured the story must be as good, or better, than How to Save a Life.  Except it really wasn't.  The book's well-written, in that the prose is strong, the characters are real and the plot is compelling enough to keep readers engaged.  And yet, it didn't wow me.  In fact, I found the story anticlimactic and depressing.  Compared to the warmth of How to Save a Life, Story of a Girl feels stiff, distant.  As much as I tried, I just didn't love it.  In fact, it left me torn—should I take a chance on another Zarr book?  Because her writing is so strong overall, I'm voting yes.  So, now the question is: Which of her books should I read next?  Which one is your favorite?

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:  B-

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

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

   

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UCLA-bound Meg Pritchard really isn't much for parties.  She'd rather spend her time writing in a quiet corner than drinking beer or singing karaoke.  So, when Meg gets an exclusive invitation to a secret 3-day bash at the lake house of the most popular girl in school, she's not as thrilled as she probably should be.  Her best friend, on the other hand, couldn't be more excited.  Minnie can't stop talking about the upcoming party—and T.J. Fletcher, the gorgeous football player who will no doubt be there.  Meg's got a bad feeling about the whole thing, but there's no way she can let Minnie go alone.  No one at school is aware that Minnie has bi-polar disorder, no one else knows what to do when it gets bad.  Only Meg.  And then there's T.J.; Minnie's not the only one who's interested in spending three days getting to know him better ... 

As Meg and Minnie cross the Puget Sound on a chartered ferry in the middle of a storm, Meg's reluctance turns to fear.  The girls have both lied to their parents about where they're spending the weekend—if something happens to them, no one will know until it's too late.  Meg's reassured when she arrives at the island and meets the nine other teens at the party.  Their hostess hasn't arrived yet, but T.J. has, which makes Meg think maybe the weekend won't be a total loss.  

Then, the partygoers find a mysterious DVD, one that makes a chilling promise:  Vengeance is mine.  The kids try to laugh it off, but it quickly becomes clear that the message is no joke.  As the guests in the lake house disappear one by one, the survivors realize just how cut off they really are.  With the storm still raging, they have no power, no phone reception, no internet and no safe way to get home.  They're stuck on a remote island with a vicious killer who has reason to want every single one of them dead.     

If you've read And Then There Were None, then Ten, a new YA novel by Gretchen McNeil, will offer few surprises.  Which is a real bummer since the story had the potential to be a very clever and compelling update of Agatha Christie's classic murder mystery.  Unfortunately, Ten is just so-so—maybe not even that.  While McNeil creates an appropriately atmospheric setting, she populates it with too many characters, few of whom are individual enough to really stand out.  I couldn't keep track of who was who and, since I didn't feel like I really knew anyone but Meg, I didn't care all that much when the others died.  As for plot, it pretty much follows And Then There Were None, making few original detours.  Add in bumpy writing, poor editing, and an overall depressing storyline and, you get a book that could have been a whole lot better.  I'm all for putting a modern twist on classic novels—as long as it's done well.  This one needed work.

(Readalikes:  And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie)

Grade:  C

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  R for language, sexual innuendo, violence and depictions of underage drinking/partying  

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Ten from the generous folks at HarperCollins.  Thank you!

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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