Cold Hands, Warm Hearts by Jill Wolfson

Dani has had fifteen years of surgeries, x-rays, docotor’s appointments, and her favorite hospital class jello, all because she was born with her heart on the wrong side of her chest. She is more than ready to live the life of a normal teenager, but it will never happen until she has a new heart, but getting one isn’t easy at all.

Amanda has been a gymnast for almost her whole fourteen years. She’s one of the best with her sleek muscular very healthy body. On the biggest day of her career though, in a very common routine, something goes horribly wrong without any notice.

Dani and Amanda have nothing in common, don’t go to the same school, and have no idea who each other are, but their lives are about to completely collide. On a journey through life and death, friendship and hardship, the reader learns about the pains of life and death.

This book is really one of a kind. It deals with heart transplants. It shows the life of a kid who needs a heart and the life of a family who provides that heart. It was a good read, but lacked a lot.

The plot was interesting as I mentioned before, but very repetitive. It was interesting to see two different sides to the story – the family and the recipient. The characters were okay. There were so many that it was hard to keep up with them all at times. Dani was a lot of fun though. Despite her set backs she was spunky and funny and really cared about life. It was also fun to see her relationship with Milo, a boy in need of a new liver, develop. The ending tied together nicely and was very satisfying.

Overall I liked this book and learned a lot. It really opened my eyes to the reality and difficulty of organ donation. There was a lot of emotion even though the writing was little bland. I think it would be interesting to read other books by Jill Wolfson as she definitely peaked my interest with this book. 

Far From You by Lisa Schroeder

Alice finds her escape in writing songs and her love for her boyfriend and then distancing herself from her father and pregnant stepmother. If only her mother hadn’t died, maybe she would be happier, but who knows, she just wishes she was still with her. As time passes Alice becomes more and more distant from her family she becomes more and more unhappy.

After a family Christmas trip though, things in Alice’s life change dramatically. On the way home Alice and her step-mother Victoria along with her new baby sister get stuck in the worst snow storm of the century. The three girls are forced to survive through brutal weather, with little food and little warmth. Along their adventure of survival though Alice has to confront many issues she hasn’t faced for years and discovers more about herself then she ever thought possible.

Alice isn’t sure if she will make it out of the storm alive, but she has discovered one thing: it sucks being alone, but she’s not sure if she really is after all.

Lisa Schroeder is definitely a talented author. She caputres my attention right away with her lyrical prose and transports me into her story. What is really special about her is that she tackles really difficult subjects, such as cancer and death, and takes them to a personal level that everyone can relate to, even if they haven’t experienced it before.

The plot itself wasn’t all that exceptional. It was predictable and didn’t really spark my attention. It was emotional and heartfelt though. The characters were really special though. Alice was very well developed and I felt like I really got into her mind and felt the same emotions she was feeling. Alice also made the mother come alive in her own way to. The few images we got of her were fantastic and even though she wasn’t present all that much, she felt so important. The other characters though were more flat, although as the end approached the step-mother became much more real.

Overall I liked this book. The writing was lyrical and the emotion was deep. It was a fast read and it wasn’t as great as her debut, but it was still solid. I look forward to reading more from Mrs. Schroeder! 

The Girl with the Mermaid Hair by Delia Ephron

Sukie Jamieson is obsessed with her looks and herself. At every opportunity she gets she looks at herself in a spoon, or takes a “selfie” with her cell phone, all to make sure she looks the best. When her mother gives her a gorgeous antique mirror that used to belong to her grandmother, Sukie is ecstatic. She is so ecstatic that she forgets to adhere to her mother’s warning: “the mirror will be your best friend, but also your worst enemy.”

As Sukie’s year progresses she learns that the mirror shows not only who you are up close, but also who you are on the inside. With these revelations she sets off into the best and worst moments of her life, dealing with everything from family problems, to friendship problems, but most of all, who she really is as a person.  

To be honest I was not a fan of this book for the first half. I felt Sukie was really whiny and fake, caring to much about herself and not enough about those around her. Everything was really disconnected and confusing, but as soon as I hit the halfway mark the story got so much better. Sukie started to become aware of her surroundings and really turned into a real person. She even got my sympathy as she dealt with situations that anyone would find tough.

While the second half was definitely the better half, the ending really sealed the deal for me that this was actually a good book. There was tons of emotion and it was great to see things fall into place. The crazy characters became a little less crazy and you really got to see the amount Sukie had grown throughout the story. Throughout the book the writing was choppy, but you quickly got used to it. One thing I definitely have to give kudos to the author for his for her characterization of Sukie’s mom. Her mom was such a mean person that by the end of the book I really had an extreme dislike for her. For me, the fact that the author was able to make me feel this infuriated with a character is really neat as it means she made her real. In the end, this was a good story of friendship, loneliness and finding the true beauty in yourself that is sometimes very hard to find. 

Just One Wish by Janette Rallison

Annika Truman is always being reminded of the power of positive thinking. After all her little brother, Jeremy has cancer and her parents are sure that if they all think the best will happen, than it will. The thing is though, Jeremy is starting to give up on the positive thinking when he heads in to his next big surgery and Annika will go as far as Hollywood (without her parents permission) to bring him the hope that he needs.

When Annika convinces Jeremy to make a wish with a magic genie, he wishes for something completely unexpected – for his favorite televesion star to come and visit him in person. With this new curveball, Annika’s plan is momentarily discombobbled, but she is determined as ever to see it through.

With her best friend in tow, Annika sets off to Hollywood to track down said start and will not stop at anything until she at least gets the chance to talk to him. She knows it won’t be easy and she only has a couple days, but nothing will stand in her way.

This was a cute and fluffy read all the way. While it held my attention, I wasn’t all that immersed in the book and easily finished it in a couple of hours. One thing though that really caught my attention was the humor. There were many times where I found myself laughing out loud and the incredible actions of Annika in order to get the attention of the hunky star, Steve and her failed attempts at stalking him!

The plot itself was heartwarming, with Annika’s strong love for her brother and the little bit of romance that evolved was cute albeit predictable. I thought that the Robin Hood theme was something quite original and I enjoyed seeing in a modern light. One thing that really made the book special though was the ending. The author jam-packed all of this emotion within the last pages that was absolutely breath taking and I just wished she had incorporated this more throughout the book, as it would have made the book a lot better. The characters were average, nothing special, but like I said before Annika’s love for her brother was really sweet.

Overall I liked this book and am interested to read more of Ms. Rallison’s work. This book is a great book to curl up with on a rainy day. 

Triple Shot Bettys in Love by Jody Gehrman

Geena is starting to completely flip out. Her boyfriend of five months, Ben, wants to get a lot more physical then she’s ready for. Then there is Amber, dear, dear, Amber, who happens to have a crush on Geena’s delectably steamy and hot English teacher, Mr. Sands who also happens to speak to Geena’s soul. Amber knows that she has any chance of stealing the heart of Mr. Sands she is going to need help, a lot of help from Geena that is. Soon Geena finds herself writing MySpace messages to Mr. Sands and making Amber appear as an intellectual, what she doesn’t bet on though is him writing back, but he does. Geena knows that she is doing it for Amber, so it’s not technically cheating on Ben…right?

With all of this drama going on in Geena’s life it’s no wonder she’s about to have a complete melt down. Will she make it through these tough couple of months or will she completely fall apart? And more importantly, will her and Amber find true love?

This was a great sequel to TRIPLE SHOT BETTYS.  Jody Gehrman’s writing was fun and light and just kept you reading all throughout the story.  The whole subject that is dealt with is quite interesting and serious, but the author handled it with a grace that I found very remarkable and fascinating. She also seemed to have a great handle on the teenage mind and how it works with relationships and such, making very relatable characters. I also wish that Hero was a little more present, but hey it’s okay.

On the note of characters I thought that they were very real and felt like old friends. Amber was a little to whiny and I was disappointed with how Geena handled the relationship with her boyfriend, but other than that the characters were so charming and unique I just couldn’t get enough.

Overall I really liked this story and am hoping there will be more about the Bettys in the future. If you haven’t had a chance to read this super funny and great books I highly suggest you pick up a copy. 

Leftovers by Heather Waldorf

In most cases when a father dies, their daughters would be distraught, but in Sarah Greene’s case relief floods over her. With his death it means that there will be no more chances for her father to abuse her and take pictures. Along with the relief though comes a nagging feeling due to a still hidden shoebox in her father’s old restaurant filled with kiddy porn that she is determined to destroy. When her desperation to find the box hits an all-time high she takes her mother’s car and crashes it – landing her in a whole heap of trouble with the law. Her punishment: doing summer-long community service at Camp Dog Gone, where shelter dogs go for a vacation.

While at “camp,” Sarah befriends a big romping dog named Judy – who is just as troubled as Sarah, - another troubled soul, Sullivan, and several other people who help her turn her life around slowly but surely. As she comes to realize what is important in her life, she breaks out of her shell that the past created and starts to heal – looking towards a brighter future.

This book is unlike many that I have read before. It takes a dark subject – sexual abuse – and turns it into a journey of healing. Using a fun background the author explores the hurt that accompanies abuse and how other people (or animals in this case) help to heal. The plot turned out to be really cute and I loved the setting with all the dogs running around.

The characters were also quite interesting. Sarah was so guarded that at times it was hard to see who she really was, but as the end of the book approached it was neat to see her personality really unfold. I also really like Sullivan. He seemed like such a happy go lucky kind of guy until you found out about his secrets – which made him very realistic. Another aspect that really stood out to me was the characterization of the dogs. Each had their own unique personality that made the reader feel as if they were curled up at their own feet.

Leftovers really has it all – humor, reality, family drama and a little bit of romance to satisfy all readers interests. It was a great book that I really enjoyed and urge you all to go and pick up a copy for yourself. 

The Navel of the World by P.J. Hoover

At the end of summer school last year Benjamin Holt had one outstanding homework assignment – to find his two missing brothers. The thing is, Benjamin has no idea how he is ever going to accomplish this, especially since he won’t be in Lemuria for a long while. What perplexes him even more is the fact that he and his brothers are the three people that keeps the worlds in balance. This news is almost too much for him to bear, especially since he is so young, but it also pushes him farther to find the whereabouts of his brothers.

Over spring break Benjamin gets the opportunity to intern at his father’s law office where he finds a mysterious file with his name on it. The only problem with the file is that he can’t read it as it is in ancient Lemurian, but at least he has some sort of clue. When he finally arrives back in Lumeria he is greeted by his telegen pals, continuing on with their studies, along with learning the art of time travel. With this new power in stow the Emerald Tablet Alliance sets off across the earth in search of the missing brothers.

Goodness these books are good! They are so jam packed with adventure that it is hard not to love them. With the combination of the great plot and characters, along with the flawless writing it was quite difficult to put the book down. The world that was created – Lemuria – was so cool – as in I was it was real. What was even better about Lemuria was it felt real. You could hear the footsteps on the path and bell jingling when the characters walked into a shop.

The characters were also very interesting. Benjamin was so determined to find his brothers that I felt myself cheering for him along his journey – which sounded like a lot of fun! Also the characters just clicked together. It was interesting to see their relationships unfold and again it was very real. The ending was probably the best part of the book. It made my heart race with anticipation, which I never wanted to end. Sadly it did though, leaving lots of room for the next book.

This book is definitely one suitable for anyone looking for adventure and fun. I compared the first book, The Emerald Tablet, to the Percy Jackson series, but after reading this book I dare say that they are better! I cannot wait to read more from PJ Hoover as she is absolutely fantastic, and I urge everyone, young or old, to pick up a copy and see for themselves how cool Lemuria is!