Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls

Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls
Author: Lynn Weingarten
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Reviewer: Emily

Summary: They say Delia burned herself to death in her stepfather's shed, but June does not believe it was suicide because she and Delia used to be closer than anything. But one night a year ago, everything changed when they and June's boyfriend, Ryan, let their good time get out of hand, and now, a year later, June owes it to Delia to know if her best friend committed suicide or was murdered.

Review: If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be “predictable.” Not bad, just not shocking. There was only one “twist” that I did not predict, but for me, that did not make up for all of the ones that I could see coming from a mile away. The funny thing is that I did really like the characters of the story and wanted to spend more time with them; it was like hanging out with friends that you really like with nothing to do. This is a great book for just passing time, not one to pick up if you’re looking for something new or thought-provoking.

Suicide Notes

Suicide Notes

Author: Michael Thomas Ford

Rating: 3.5/5

Reviewer: Emily

Summary: Fifteen-year-old Jeff wakes up on New Year’s Day to find himself in the hospital. Make that the psychiatric ward. With the nutjobs. Never mind the bandages on his wrists, clearly this is all a huge mistake. Jeff is perfectly fine, perfectly normal – not like the other kids in the hospital with him. They’ve got problems. But a funny thing happens as Jeff’s forty-five day sentence drags on: the crazies start to seem less crazy…

Review: This book was surprisingly light, considering the subject matter - so much that I initially found it flippantly so. For a person who had just attempted suicide, the main character, Jeff, didn’t seem to realize the depth of his situation. While I understand that it is realistic for a period of denial to follow an event like this, the way that it was written made it very difficult for me, as a reader, to grasp the true gravity of the situation.

It didn’t help that I found Jeff to be irritatingly sarcastic in a way that I think was meant to be used as comedic relief although I just didn’t find his jokes funny. With that in mind, I had to remind myself that this book is told from the point of view of a 15 year old, and I started to think of him as a little brother. An annoying little brother, yes, but still one that I cared for and wanted a happy ending for.

Near the end, the pieces did begin to fall into place, albeit very suddenly. It almost felt like the answers came out of nowhere; it was something that I really was not suspecting, and I don’t feel that there were many, if any, clues. Still, they brought a decent understanding to the book and some real emotion, which was a relief. This was bittersweet, and also my favorite part, because I felt like it was real.

Another thing that I did enjoy about this book is that it helped to break through the stigmas of mental illness as “the crazies start[ed] to seem less crazy.” I think that it’s very important for people to realize that someone with a mental illness is still a regular person, even if they are labeled as “crazy” and it would be very helpful to someone who may be struggling with any of the issues mentioned.

Although this book wasn’t my cup of tea, I truly believe that it would be well-suited to people closer to the main character’s age, or to people who are looking for something to ease them into such a serious topic as this.

Skinny

Skinny

Author: Ibi Kaslik

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Reviewer: Emily

Summary: Holly’s older sister, Giselle, is self-destructing. Haunted by her troubled relationship with her late father, Giselle is fighting an all-consuming battle with anorexia. Once a role model and top medical student, her life is spiraling out of control.

As a track star, Holly struggles to keep her own life in balance while coping with her sister’s mental and physical deterioration. And together they are holding on for dear life.

Told from both girls’ perspectives as they narrate alternating chapters, Skinny explores love, pain, and the hunger for the acceptance that drives us all.

Review: I must admit that this book is not what I expected it to be. Given the title and synopsis, I thought the primary focus would have been Giselle’s struggle with anorexia, but in that, I was wrong. While it is a big part of the story (how could something like that not be, right?), I would say that there are much more important aspects, which makes the title slightly misleading in my view.

However, that is not to say that the book is bad. I found it refreshing to read about other facets of Giselle’s life in equal, if not greater, details than her eating disorder. One such example is her exploration into the troubled relationship she had with her late father; as well as keeping the reader turning the pages, it adds a very realistic feel to the story. It also helps the reader to understand what would push someone, a medical student, no less, towards an addiction that is so detrimental to their own health.

While on the topic of understanding Giselle, I would like to add that the medical jargon at the top of each of her chapters is brilliant. Though I did find it confusing at times (Science courses will be the death of me), it’s extremely fascinating to see her relate her emotional and psychological problems to physical issues, using a platform that she knows.

In the end, I felt that I had a pretty solid understanding of Giselle’s character. I wish that I could say the same about her sister, Holly. I am happy that the author included the perspective of a family member to someone with anorexia, but there were so many little pieces and issues (perhaps psychologically) with Holly’s character that I would have loved for the author to explore further; alas, it didn’t happen, which was disappointing. Still, it is interesting to see Holly and Giselle side-by-side; they definitely contrast each other well.

All in all, I did like this book and would recommend others to read it, especially if you know someone who is suffering from an eating disorder (or suffer from it yourself) because it gives a nice insight not only to that perspective but to the perspective of the people close to it as well.

Unwind

Unwind
Author: Neal Shusterman
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Reviewer: Julie H.

Summary: In Shusterman’s frightening dystopia, a law allows parents to have misbehaving children “unwound” between the ages of 13 and 18. The child is taken to a camp before finally being dismantled and used for donor organs. When Connor finds out his parents have decided to have him unwound, he runs away to try to survive on his own until he turns 18 and is safe from unwinding. Along his journey he meets Risa and Lev, two other unwinds with their own sad pasts. Together, they may be able to survive, and maybe even change the world.

Review: While the basis for this story seems unbelievable (who would agree to creating a law that allows children to be used for donor organs?) it isn’t actually too far away from things that have happened throughout history. If you can suspend your disbelief enough to give this book a chance, you will find that it is well-written, fast-paced, and scary without being graphic. The characters feel real, and the premise of the book is thought-provoking. If you enjoy dystopian fiction, and you’re looking for an exciting read, give this book a shot! I would recommend this book for mature teens and adults. Some content may be disturbing for younger readers.

Wings

Wings
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Reviewer: Julie H.

Summary: Homeschooled teenager Laurel has always felt a little different from other kids her age, but she doesn’t learn just HOW different until she discovers that she isn’t even human… As Laurel tries to understand the truth of who and what she is, she is pulled into a centuries-old battle between faeries and trolls, and is forced to make decisions that may save or destroy her whole race.

Review: Although this series shares many similarities with the Twilight series and may be criticized as just another teen love triangle, I think Aprilynne Pike has created a beautiful and fantastic world of her own, filled with likeable characters and an exciting plot. (Disclaimer: Readers who didn’t like Bella from Twilight may have the same frustrations with Laurel.) However, I loved this series. I finished all four books within a week and if Aprilynne Pike picked up pen and paper and wrote four more, I would happily sacrifice another week’s sleep to spend more time in this magical world.

 

Monster On The Hill

Monster On The Hill
Author: Rob Harrell
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Reviewer: Todd

Monster On The Hill was an interesting tale about a monster, one who has suffered seven years’ worth of growing depression. Instead of giving his town pride by scaring and attacking it and giving the local tourism a boost, he spends nights staring at the ceiling of his home wallowing in growing misery. What makes this story interesting though is that the monster, Rayburn, is not instantly cured of his depression. The story shows several aspects of depression that people may not understand about it: it can happen without you noticing right away, it can last a very long time, it is not something that just goes away if things get better, it’s something that shouldn’t be dealt with alone, and a lot of hard work might only ease the burden a little bit. However, Rayburn shows just how much that little bit of hard work and relief can mean. If you want a book that shakes up the idea of monsters that attack your town, this might be the one you’re looking for. The subtext is just a good bonus.