The Slow Moon

The Slow Moon

by Elizabeth Cox

Rating: Great

Difficulty: Normal

Pages: 300

Synopsis

On an early spring night in 1991, Sophie and Crow, flushed with anticipation, slip away from a rowdy high school party and sneak off into the woods. Tonight, for the first time, they will make love. An hour later, Sophie lies unconscious, covered with blood, and Crow is crashing through the underbrush, hurling himself into the river to escape the police. . . .

What was meant to be an idyllic, intimate evening has turned into a nightmare. Despite Crow’s frantic claims of innocence, evidence at the scene suggests his guilt. And Sophie, by now awake in the hospital, refuses to speak, leaving the residents of the couple’s seemingly placid Tennessee town to draw their own wildly varying conclusions.If Crow isn’t to blame, then who assaulted Sophie, and what compelled Crow to flee? With each answer comes a new set of questions. Elizabeth Cox’s vibrant and lyrical narrative revisits the events leading up to the fateful night, then shows how the tragedy reverberates throughout the community, among parents, friends, teachers, and neighbors–all connected to the young lovers, all with a stake in what happens next. As growing suspicions divide the town, a closer look reveals that everyone has something to hide.

Review

Wow i was really impressed by the sheer intensity of this book! It has alot of different sub-plots that have to do with marriage, infildelity, homosexuality and family bonds. After reading this i wouldn't really call it a YA book but it definitly has that taste to it. It has great contrast between the adult lives and relationships as well as the teenage crushes and friendships. One of the main characters, Sophie is brutally gang raped and the whole town seems to be effected by this, nobody can believe that something so horrible could happen in their little small town in Tennesse so it's a really big dose of hard reality. You can clearly see how each charcter is truly affected by the rape and among the rape there is also a heap of lies and mysterious goings-on in the town. Crow another main character in the story is kind of the classic american boy caught up in a whirl wind of a catastrophy, he means nothing but good yet, he's found himself stuck in this horrible situation. I really feel for this guy, as well as the other equally as piercing characters in the story. This book really deals with a lot of issues and it kind of reminds me of a really good, not so cheesy episode of all my children or some other day time soap of that sort. Completely orginal yet oddly familiar this story will take you on a crazy ride through love, lust betrayal and heartbreak! You gotta read this!

Playlist for Dreamland!

Dreamland

Listen to this!

Monster- Meg and Dia

Lullaby- Dixie Chicks

Pressure- Pramore

RX Queen- Deftones

Jealous guy- John Lennon

Dreamland

Dreamland

by Sarah Dessen

Rating: Incredible

Difficulty: Normal

Pages: 250

Synopsis

Ever since she started going out with Rogerson Biscoe, Caitlin seems to have fallen into a semiconscious dreamland where nothing is quite real. Rogerson is different from anyone Caitlin has ever known. He's magnetic. He's compelling. He's dangerous. Being with him makes Caitlin forget about everything else- her missing sister, her withdrawn mother, her lackluster life. But what happens when being with Rogerson becomes a larger problem then being without him?

Review

So i can't help but stress to you how absolutely amazing this book is! Not only is Rogerson Biscoe one of the most terrifically written characters in writing history (to me) but this story is also very real. Now what i mean by real is that it addresses a large problem occurring today among many teenage girls- abuse. Caitlin is the less "outstanding daughter," her grades aren't perfect, she doesn't have a specific talent and she's always hidden in the shadow of her older more phenomenal sister, Cassie. That is until she meets Rogerson. He is the epitome of everything Cassie would never have- mysterious, brilliant, charming and soon controlling, terrifying and abusive. At first she is grateful for his unfamiliar ways but as the latter traits begin to appear, Caitlin is caught up in a fight for her identity and her life. The characters in this book are the best i know- Sarah Dessen perfectly captures the personalities of everyday people with a splash of a little eccentricism. It doesn't take you long to fall in love with these characters- especially Rogerson. I was shocked and appalled that someone so amazing could be so evil and it really showed me how you can never really know someone completely. Caitlin learns this and plenty other lessons in Dreamland and the ultimate one is finding herself. Finding the niche where she belongs in her own personal life. It's a story of courageous survival, getting to know one's self, and appreciating what you have. This is the absolute must read!

Playlist for The Lovely Bones!

The Lovely Bones

Listen to This!

Breakable- Ingrid Michaelson

Come as you are- Nirvana

Daddy's little girl- Faith Hill

Smile like you mean it- The Killers

Pretty girls make graves- Morissey

Yours truly!

The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones

by Alice Sebold

Rating: Great

Difficulty: Normal

Pages: 328

Synopsis

When we first meet Susie Salmon she is already in heaven. As she looks down from this strange new place, she tells us, in the fresh and spirited voice of a fourteen year old girl, a tale that is both haunting and full of hope.

In the weeks that follow her death, Susie watches life continue with out her- her school friends trade rumors about her disappearence, her family holding out hope that she'll be found, her killer trying to cover her tracks. A months pass without leads, Susie sees her parents' marriage being contorted by the loss, her sister hardening herself in an effort to stay strong, and her little brother trying to graasp the meaning of the word gone.

And she explores this place called heaven. It looks alot like her school playground, with the good kind of swing sets. There are counselors to help new comers adjust and friends to room with. Everything she ever wanted appears as soon as she thinks of it- except the thing she wants the most: to be back with the people she loved on earth.

With compassion, longing and a growing understanding, Susie sees her loved ones pass through grief and begin to mend. Her father embarks on a risky quest to ensare her killer. Her sister undertakes a feat of remarkable daring. And the boy Susie cared for moves on, only to find himself at the center of a miraculous event.

Review

This book is alot like Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin BUT alot different at the same time too. Instead of primarily going into how the dead feels after death, The Lovely Bones takes a deeper look into the healing part of a loved one dying. This is a shokingly endearing novel- told from the persepective of a young girl who was brutally murdered, it is almost as if YOU are the one watching her family from above. Now i know i say this alot- the whole "i felt like i was the character in the story" thing, but for this book it is especially true. Susie Salmon (great name by the way!) is a very ordinary yet insightful character, she pulls you in with her familiarity but keeps you there with her ghostly thoughts and haunting voice. Her mother Abigail Salmon, kind of reminds me of every typical mother out there yet, the steamy affair she holds with the investigating Detective is exciting and very, umm what do 'ya call it, sneaky. Her father Jack Salmon was really heart breaking to me because of course, I am a daddy's girl. He seems to be the person most affected by Susie's disappearence and through out the whole book he embarks on a hearty quest to find her killer and avenge his daughter. This book is fascinating and i recommend it for anyone who like Elsewhere. When you read this book expect to cry and really think about lifes lessons and treasures. Read it!

Love,

Christina!

Playlist for Don't Think Twice!

Don't Think Twice

Listen to This!

Burn your life down- Tegan and Sara

Until Tomorrow- Paramore

Second Chance- Shinedown

If you're gone- Matchbox Twenty

An honest mistake- The bravery

Don't Think Twice

Don't Think Twice

by Ruth Pennebaker

Rating: Great

Difficulty:Normal

Pages: 262

Synopsis

Anne Harper, seventeen, pregnant, and living in a home for unwed mothers, is determined to not care. She will give up her baby for adoption, go back to school, and forget this mistake ever happened. As the weeks pass, this teenager with hard hitting yet hilarious sense of sarcasm comes to realize that what is growing inside her is not just a child but also a new awareness of herself.

Review

If you love the movie Juno, you'll love this funny and interesting novel by Ruth Pennebaker. I read this book a long time ago but when i saw it a lying in this old book store ll negected and stuff i just had to rescue it and read it again! Now Anne is a very sarcastic, grumpy girl the whole story. She refuses to even think of her baby as an actual life growing inside of her, as the story progresses she starts to realize that with this new child she also must fashion a new personality. Looking back at her life, she realizes she was not happy at all and what she wants to do now is become a better more sincere person. She starts out hating every inch of the unwed mothers home but then slowly starts to see that this is more of a home then she ever had. Through new friendships and experiences, she finds that life might not be that bad at all and maybe just maybe she can learn from this terrible but eye-opening experience. This is definitly a darkly intense but funny coming of age novels for even regular girls who are not pregnant- Anne's journey might even open your eyes a little bit!