Rock and a Hard Place by Angie Stanton

Buy here*

Publication date: 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 290
My rating:  2 stars
Ages: 14-16

 In the first of the Jamieson Brothers novels, we are introduced to Jamieson front man, Peter--he of the swoon worthy voice and magical lyrics. While on tour, Peter meets Libby, a beautiful but tragic girl with a penchant for art. Both Peter and Libby feel a strong connection, but can they possibly clear all the hurdles that stand in the way of them being together?

Since I'm all about being honest here, here is what I thought while reading this book: "It's like a teenage fantasy written down." I'm sure I'm not the only one as a teenager that had a celebrity crush and fantasized about meeting him and him falling in love with me . . . (oh, I was?) Anyway, it's a little bit like Jonas Brothers fanfic, except the names of the brothers are changed.

That being said; it was a quick read, a little bit of fluff in what I've been reading lately. I really think that younger teens would enjoy this book, but the writing doesn't shine as anything special, and the story is contrived.

*I do not receive compensation from Amazon.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Buy here*

Publication date: 2005
Publisher: Scribner
Pages: 288
My rating: 4 stars
Ages: 18+

In this memoir, Walls gives an in depth view of what it was like for her growing up in the 1960s and 70s, roaming from place to place with her parents. Her father--an intelligent, creative man with a drinking problem--and her mother--an artist and writer without any real maternal instinct--pack their family up and move all across the west anytime they lose a job or get so behind in their bills they have to leave to avoid paying their debt. Finally, they end up in West Virginia, when the four Walls kids are old enough to realize that they want more than the life they had had, causing all four to leave their parents and move to New York.

The writing of this memoir is amazing. There were times when I had to remind myself that the things Walls wrote about actually happened, and that it wasn't just a story. This is definitely a case of truth being stranger than fiction--the life Walls led as a child is so fantastical that it's hard to believe that anyone could have gone through everything she did in the time that she lived.

The Glass Castle is an amazing journey through a daughter's eyes as she goes from holding her father in the highest esteem to becoming disillusioned when she realizes how his drinking has affected him and their whole family. Walls had to learn that even when you love someone, you sometimes have to leave because it's what is best for you. It doesn't mean that you love them any less. In a way, this is really a book about family, and how to be a family.

I put the age rating high because there is mention of sexual assault and some swearing, as well as the subject matter being mature.

*I do not receive compensation from Amazon.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Buy here*

Publication date: 1934 (original), 2004 (this edition)
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 322
My rating: 4 stars
Ages: 14+

Famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, thought he was going on vacation when he receives a message calling him back to England to work on a case. He is able to catch the Orient Express, where he comes across a wide variety of people, one of whom is killed the second night. Caught in a snowstorm, it is up to Poirot to discover the murderer.

How does one go about reviewing a book by such a well loved author as Agatha Christie? Especially one of the most well known books of her career? Well, as honestly as I can. I was first introduced to Agatha Christie through the Marple television show, then the play Mousetrap while I was in London, and then I finally started reading her books through a roommate of mine and they were all Poirot novels, so I do have a love for that particular Belgian detective. That being said, Murder on the Orient Express falls behind Death on the Nile for me.

There were great twists in the story, and I was with some of the other characters thinking it seemed a bit too coincidental until Poirot gave the whole story. Poirot is in fine form in this novel and the other characters interact with him in an interesting way. I just found that Poirot reached the solution a little too conveniently. But for mystery lovers, it's a good story with an interesting ending.

*I don't receive any compensation from Amazon.

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Buy here*

Publication date: 2013
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 346
My rating: 4 stars
Ages: 16+

In the companion to Code Name Verity, Rose (an American working in England as a civilian pilot) is captured when flying over Europe and sent to a concentration camp. There she meets women who show her the meaning of strength, hope, and family, all while endeavoring to find a way to escape and make it back to Allied territory.

Unlike Verity, I felt that Wein went more "typical" in this WWII novel while still putting a unique spin on it. As an American in a concentration camp, Rose's point of view is completely different from the stories we know about the Jews. And because it's in a concentration camp, the tone of the novel is entirely more depressing than Verity was. There were a few times that I had to put the book down and go do something else to get away from the feeling. While not necessarily bad, and I didn't feel manipulated by Wein, it's just something to keep in mind before you pick it up. There are descriptions during the camp scenes that are pretty horrific--just as it really was--and I felt my stomach turn a little at them.

I thought Verity was the superior book, but that this was a necessary one. The camp Rose is imprisoned in is a women's camp, and one where medical experiments were conducted. Just like in Wein's other book, this draws attention to things that history books and classes don't really concentrate on, and in a more narrow view than is usually given. It gives a different view of war besides who won and who lost, but instead addresses things like the victims of war, and how many of those victims had no real part in the war. Again, it's those shades of gray that we dismiss in our view of history that Wein brings out with intense attention to detail and emotion. I think this book would be particularly good for high school students to read while studying the war--while fictional, it's a personal view at what the war did, to people, to places, and to history.

*I receive no compensation from Amazon.

Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart

Buy here*

Publication date: 2012 (UK, release in US 1 Apr. 2014)
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 323
My rating: 4 stars
Ages: 18+

From British comedian, sitcom writer, and actress, Miranda Hart, comes her first book, Is It Just Me? Part memoir, part manual (or, "miran-ual"), Hart writes on 18 different subjects from relationships to Christmas, sharing her own hilarious stories and some inspiring insights with the hope that it isn't just her. Speaking both to "my dear reader chum" (or, MDRC--which I started to say in my head as "ma-drick"--something I like to think Hart would appreciate) and her 18-year-old self, Hart gallops through the pages of her book with humor and wisdom.

There are several things I really enjoyed about this book. First, it's written exactly how Hart speaks. I became a fan of Hart first from PBS's "Call the Midwife," then from her sitcom "Miranda" and have watched several interviews. Having the book written as if she really is talking to me, as her MDRC, makes it so much more approachable. Second, I'll tell you now, it's not just Hart. It's me, too! There were so many times in her book when she was regaling the reader and "Little Miranda" with some awkward story and I thought "That's totally something I would do." There were even a few times I wondered if she had been spying on my life, it was so accurate. Third, there was so much to laugh about, even apart from her stories. Hart makes up words, or combines words in funny ways. She points out her puns, or if she rhymed.

I did read the British published version of her book. Because of the absolute British-ness of it, it may be hard for the average American to understand some of the references or language. I'm not sure what the American published version will do about that, but that's the only reason I gave it a four. I'm an anglophile, but there were some nuances that I still didn't understand.

*I do not receive any compensation from Amazon.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Buy here*

Publication date: 2012
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 332
My rating: 5 stars
Ages: 16+
Awards: Printz

When a British wireless operator must parachute into France in 1943, she has only her wits to keep her out of the hands of the Gestapo. Unfortunately, one small mistake lands her in prison, where she is interrogated severely until she agrees to give them everything she knows. This book is that written record.

Code Name Verity was such an engaging, moving, and interesting story that nothing could knock me out of the narrative. I didn't notice any inaccuracies, or editing errors; I never felt that I was asked to suspend my disbelief--though I hadn't known before hand that women were spies and pilots during World War II. The narrator has such a distinctive voice that I instantly liked her spunk, her bravery, her charm, her wisdom, and her heartbreak.

The narrative is interesting, written as a set of "entries" meant to be given to the SS officer in charge at the end of everyday. It's a bit of a thrill ride, as the reader is pulled along through tales of the past and the horrors of the present. The narrative does take a bit of getting used to, but within just a few pages, it--and it's teller--are endeared to you by the very things that make both of them different from other novels you have read. Verity is also so different from the usual WWII novels. This is a more "behind the scenes" look at the war as well as a glance of the grayness of war, enemies, friendship, loyalty, fears, dreams, and family. I shed a tear or two near the end.

I think that anyone with some interest in history (WWII in particular), strong female characters, and spy novels will find this book engaging. I especially think that those that liked The Book Thief by Marcus Zusack will find this a compelling read.

*I do not receive any compensation from Amazon.

Evertrue by Brodi Ashton

Buy here*

Publication date: 2014
Publisher: Balzer+Bray
Pages: 355
My rating: 3 stars
Ages: 14+

In the last book of the Everneath trilogy, Nikki and Jack need to try to find a way to keep Nikki from becoming an Everliving after Cole tricked her from feeding off him in the Everneath. Cole has Nikki's heart, which means he has control over her. With a Bounty Hunter after them, and only a few days before Nikki dies or returns to the Everneath, Nikki and Jack will have to trust Cole to help them.

A lot of what I liked about the first two books are still there, mostly the things that make this different from most paranormal novels. This includes that the love interest is the "nice, normal boy" instead of the 100-year-old immortal with an obsession. One other thing that makes it different is that there is no clear cut "villian"--it's more gray than black and white, which makes every character more believable and the story more interesting to read.

I like Ashton's style and her story telling abilities. That being said, I personally liked the first book much better than any of the rest of the trilogy. It took me some time to feel interested in Evertrue, though I did become more interested in Nikki and Jack's plight as the story went on. Mostly, though, I felt that their story was stretched to the limit by being turned into the trilogy. Though the ending of Everneath was bittersweet, I felt that it was good enough to stand on its own. The entire trilogy is worth reading if you are willing to make the commitment, but otherwise, skip the last two books and read the first one as a stand alone.

*I do not receive any compensation from Amazon.