The Infinite Sea ( 300Pages)

This is the second book to Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave. It continues to follow the young survivors as they struggle to make decisions that effect their lives. Much of the time they spend in the "hotel" that the first book left them in. Cassie Sullivan continues to care for her little brother, and to await Ethan Walker's return. Ringer leaves the group to attempt to escape to the caves where she hopes to find other survivors. She is captured by Vosh and imprisoned once again. The book continues as she attempts to outwit Vosh, and she is assisted by Razor, her care-taker. She struggles to understand what is important to keep humanity alive. Will Razor assist her? Is there a love building between them? What does she need to do to overcome the Others and their evil, as they attempt to rid earth of all humans? This is a fast moving novel and may not be the last as the 5th Wave continues to roll towards the children.

Just One Year ( 323 Pages)

In a follow-up to her book Just One Day,  Gale Forman focuses on Willem. This book is OK, but I don't think it has the "staying power" that One Day has. It certainly answers the question for readers as to just what happened to Willem in the first book. I was  not ready to write him off as a guy who had just taken a young girl for all he could get.....I will say that Forman has taken Willem's character forward by answering some questions about his background.

Where She Went (264 Pages)

For those of you who read Forman's If I Stay, might enjoy this next book. This takes Adam and Mia 3 years post accident. He's still on the West Coast with a new girl friend, and she is  still in New York. Both music careers have grown to the point that they are on tours. One night, when Adam is in New York, he happens by Carnegie. And who do you think just happens to be performing? You guessed it- Mia! What happens after this is they balance to this new love- love lost- love rekindled! NICE....

The Beginning of Everything (335 Pages)

Robyn Schneider has written a book that is very contemporary and will hit home with many high schoolers.  Ezra Faulkner had it all: the Captain of the tennis team, President of the Student Government and he was destined to be the homecoming king for his school, but his girlfriend  was a jerk and was cheating on him- which he discovered when he walked in on them at a party. As he rushed out of the party, he was hit by a black SUV, shattering his leg. None of the members of the tennis team visited him in the hospital, nor did his girlfriend. He was self-conscious of his limp and his dependency using a cane. But he returned to his high school and it was then he met Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy was stunning. Her blue, blue eyes and her auburn hair set her apart from the rest of the girls. AND, she was brilliant. Ezra and Cassidy become "a couple" and join the debate team of which  Ezra's oldest friend is captain. Ezra can't believe that Cassidy falls for him, but she does, and then all of a sudden, she drops him, she leaves school, with no words for Ezra as to why. And then Ezra finds out why. This turn in the book brings everything together.

Just One Day (369 Pages)

Gayle Forman has written another book with memorable characters. Her book, If I Stay, has been made into a movie, and I wouldn't be surprised if this book also became a movie. Allyson Healy is on a summer tour arranged by her mother. Her mother arranges everything in Allyson's life, and this is one of the conflicts in this book, but it is a conflict that Allyson successfully deals with. This is a gift from her mom and dad who arrange it with her best friend's parents so that Allyson has company! Melanie and Allyson have done everything together since kindergarten, but as this book progresses into their freshman year in college, they begin to drift apart- physically and as friends. Conflict # 2.
While in England, Allyson meets Willem, Willem is a free spirited young man and he invites her to forsake her plans and come with him to Paris- for Just One Day! The plot takes us to college with her as she struggles with her academics- for the first time in her life. What is going on with this straight A student? She is exhausted all of the time, she can't get along with her roommates, she lives college life as a hermit. This book is a coming of age book and includes love, loss, the role accidents can have in one's life, and how fate can matter to all of us. It's a winner!

full-ride (343 Pages)

I think I've read just about every book Margaret Haddix has written, starting with her Shadow Children series. This book follows Becca, a young girl  who is just finishing 8th grade. Her father has been arrested for bilking millions of dollars out of people and after a grueling trial, has been found guilty. His sentence is for ten years in jail. Becca and her mother are put into a witness protection program. Meanwhile, Becca is in her final year of high school and goes for a scholarship. In doing so, however, she must reveal some information from her past. Obviously this is a major block in her path. The book is a mystery and has an interesting outcome.

Fangirl (433 Pages)

Who wouldn't want to read a book authored by someone with the name Rainbow?  I hesitated with her first book, but it became my favorite book of the year for me!In this book, Rainbow addresses a number of conflicts: twins growing up (and apart), a mother's rejection and disappearance for ten years,  a father with manic depression, self perception,  and the first year of college. Interspersed are some romances that are just adorable. The twins names are cute Cather and Wren. Get it? when you put them together, it sounds like Catherine! As both girls adjust to their freshman year of college where they are not rooming together for the first time in eighteen years, the reader sees Wren fall into the problem area faced by so many students as she falls into the dangerous point of alchahol poisoning. Throughout the book Cath is writing an eline column taking the characters developed by an author in a series sounding a little like Harry Potter.... One thing I didn't like was seeing Cath's writing put into the pages. Not only was the print of her writing too little for this old lady to disentangle, I wasn't interested in reading about her characters. However, the romance that developed between Cath and Levi was absolutely wonderful. Lots of kissing but no real sex. The kissing was so romantic- it was perfect! I was really pulling for Levi and Cath to last....Ah ever the romantic! You girls will LOVE this book.