Green, J. (2014). The fault in our stars. Penguin Books.Hazel, a 17 year old girl with cancer, meets a boy named Augustus at her cancer social group meeting. Although they just met he invites her to his house. Augustus drops her off at her house and they agree to read each others favorite book. Hazel’s favorite book is An Imperial Affliction it is about a girl named Anna who has cancer, but the book ends mid sentence. Without giving the reader closure about how it ends, if she dies or not. Hazel likes this book because its similar to her situation. She wants to know if Anna’s mom made it fine with her dying so that way she’ll know if her parents will be okay once she’s gone. Augustus and Hazel set out to look for the author, Mr. Van Houten, to ask him how he would write a sequel to the book but he ends up being a rude alcoholic that doesn't care about anything. When Augustus dies Mr. Van Houten comes to the funeral but Hazel ignores him. He gives her a letter Augustus send him where Augustus writes a sequel himself. In the sequel Augustus writes that in this world getting hurt is inevitable but we get to choose on who we allow to hurt us. He says he is happy with his choice and hopes she is happy with hers. The novel ends with Hazel saying she is. A strength I found was how Hazel was able to handle everything she went through and still ended up with a smile at the end of the book. Other books by Green are Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns. I learned that this world is full of things that we can’t control so go for what we want and don’t regret it. Hazel and Augustus knew they were dying but that didn't stop them from enjoying the last days of their lives. They went to Amsterdam in search of an explanation of why the book ended without a conclusion.

 

Ness, P. (2008). The knife of never letting go. Candlewick Press. Todd lives in Prentisstown with his dog Manchee. The thing about this town is that only men live there. Todd is the youngest person in this town and sent out to pick apples when he hears a hole in the noise. He knows it's impossible not to hear noise. Because of this Todd has to leave town and never come back. He leaves with his dog and is being chased by Aaron the preacher. As he is trying to escape he bumps into the silence he heard earlier and to his surprise it ends up being Viola. Viola is a girl and Todd has never seen a girl in his life. At first Viola is afraid that Todd is going to kill her and runs away from him. Soon after Todd finds her again and they both head off together since Aaron is chasing after them. Although they don't know where they are headed they keep going away from Prentisstown. Together they encounter several people who help them along the way. They are headed toward Haven where they think they might find safety. Unfortunately, Todd is stapped by Aaron and Viola is taken away. Todd uses Manchee as bait to distract Aaron to try to get Viola. It works but Manchee is killed. Aaron seems to catch up to them right when Todd and Viola can see Haven in the distance. Viola is shot so Todd carries her the rest of the way to Haven. Sadly Haven is really not a safe place. They are surprised to see Mayor Prentiss welcoming them to the new Prentisstown. One strength I found in the book is when Todd goes after Aaron even if meant he would kill him in order to find Viola. Other books like this one are Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner and The Moon Dwellers by David Estes. After reading this book I learned that secrets are never kept a secret for ever. This town had secrets that Todd later discovered. The women were not killed by the germ noise like he was told growing up.

Garden, N. (20017). Annie on my mind. Square Fish. Eliza was a senior in high school when she met Annie at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Annie's voice was what drew Liza, short for Eliza, into the colonial rooms. That's the day Liza's life changed for ever. Liza couldn't explain what she was feeling. She couldn't get Annie of her mind. She had never felt this away about a girl before. That's the day she realized she might be gay. Through out the book the two girls spent a lot of time together without anyone knowing how they felt about each other, until the day they get caught in Liza's teachers house. Liza was suppose to be there feeding the cats but made the mistake of inviting Annie with her. Mrs. Baxter and Sally, a friend of Liza, found Liza and Annie at the house. Liza was bare foot and Annie was just wearing her lumber jacket so Sally and Mrs. Baxter realized what was going on. Not only did they find the two girls in that situation but also found out that the two teachers were lesbians as well, something no one knew not even Liza. She found out that same day too. The school fired the teachers thinking that they had a huge influence on Liza and Annie although they didn't. In the end the two girls went their separate ways. Liza went MIT and Annie left to California. Annie would write to Liza, but Liza never wrote back. She just couldn't. One strength I found was that Liza couldn't fight her feelings anymore. She loved Annie and didn't care what people thought. When Mrs. Baxter and Sally found them, Liza screamed yes I am a lesbian. She couldn't fight it anymore and was tired of hiding it. Other books by Garden are Molly's Family and Nora & Liz. What I learned form reading this book is that young kids are scared of what they are feeling on the inside because of what people might say. They are scared to come out but that doesn't change how they feel. Annie and Liza loved each other. In the book Annie mentions another friend she had in California whom she had feelings for before Liza, but it was Liza's first time feeling this way toward a girl. At first Liza couldn't understand how she felt about Annie. Why she couldn't stop thinking about her. In the end she still can't stop thinking about her.

Wagenen. M. V. (2014). Popular: vintage wisdom for a modern geek: a memoir. Penguin Group. Maya is a Junior High student that is not popular at school. At her school's popularity scale she and her friends fall under the social outcast group until the day she comes upon a book her father bought at a garage sale. Betty Cornell's Teenage Popularity Guide written by Betty Cornell in 1951 made a huge impact on Maya's social life. It all started when her mother suggested she follow Cornell's advice this year and write about it. Maya did just that and to her surprise although the book was written so many years ago it actually worked. Maya became popular with all social groups. She did this by following a suggestion in Cornell's book of sitting in other people's tables during lunch. By doing this she was able to meet all those kids that she was once afraid of. One strength I found was when Maya wrote, "Now I know and talk to more people than I ever thought possible. I've learned lots of people are afraid to make the first move in a conversation," She forced herself to approach new people. Something she couldn't of done if it wasn't for Cornell's book.  She knew she made a difference. All the social groups accepted her in their tables something that had never been done before. Other book like this one is How to Be Popular by Meg Cabot.  What I learned form reading this book is that being popular is not being a part of the cheerleaders and football players social group, but instead it means knowing people from every social group in school. Maya wrote that the closest she was to being popular was when she opened her introverted circle and allowed everyone in.

Forman, G. (2010). If I stay. Speak. Seventeen year old Mia l is driving with her family when a truck looses control and crashes into them. At this point Mia is seeing everything outside of her body and now she is faced with a bigger question, should she stay or should she go? She is split between two choices that will change her forever. If she decides to stay she is going to have to go through all that pain of losing her family whereas if she lets go she won’t feel anything. The other choice is if she goes, that means she’s leaving the rest of her family and friends. Her boyfriend who is a big part of her life, grandparents that are just like her parents, and Juilliard, the school she had just gotten accepted into. At the end of the reading she is ready to go with the rest of her family but when Adam, her boyfriend, tells her that’s its okay to let go, but he wishes she stay. Somehow Adam gets through to her because all she wanted at that moment was to hold his hand and suddenly she was, suddenly she awakens. The strength of the novel was that no matter what Mia chooses she is always going to have love and support of the people around her. Other books similar to this one are Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schreoder and Ever after Ever by Jordan Sonnenblick. One thing I learned from this novel is to never be afraid to make life changing decisions.

Forman, G. (2013). Just one day. Speak. Allyson is on her last day of the European tour when she bumps into Willem, a boy who will sweep her off her feet. Allyson has always done what she is suppose too. She never broke the rules or did anything that could get her into trouble but there was something about Willem that caught her attention. Allison finds herself breaking the rules by leaving with Willem to Paris. They have a wonderful day together, but in the morning she wakes to him gone. No where to be found. Allison is in a city where she doesn't speak the language much less no anyone. She is lost and confused. In the end Allison is picked up by her her tour guide and leaves Europe clueless of what happened to Willem. Back in at home she is in college but cant seem to stop thinking of Willem, so she decides to head back to Europe to find him. The book ends when he opens his front door and sees her standing there. One strength I found was how Allyson was able to go through all that pain and torture of not knowing what really happened the morning Willem disappeared. She knew in her heart that he wouldn't just leave her there. She knew something had happened and by going to look for him she would prove herself right. Other books by Forman are Just one Year, If I stay, Where she Went, and I was Here. A book similar to this one is Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally. Something I learned form reading this novel was that love has no limit and when it’s real you go to great lengths to find it. Allyson knew in her heart something had happened that morning and she saved all her money to make the trip back to Europe to find Willem.