Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Road Trip by Linda Oatman High

"Laura Crapper, a seventeen-year-old combat-boot-wearing poet with spiked red hair, renames herself Sister Slam and hits the road with her best friend, Twig. On the way to a slam poetry contest in New Jersey, they hit a pig, get pulled over by the cops, fight with one of the judges, lose the contest, get into two more fender benders, fight with each other, and finally land on the front page of a New York City newspaper for their amazing impromptu performance at the famous Tavern on the Green. The girls and their fresh style of poetry take the city by storm, but when Laura's father back in Pennsylvania has a heart attack, she must face her fears about home and the still-raw loss of her mother. This inspiring romp of a coming-of-age story, written entirely in Laura's in-your-face slam poetry style, proves you don't have to give up your home to live your dream."

So this week I went on a little binge of really quick reads. This book was only written in the form of slam poetry, and I really enjoyed it. I am always impressed when an author can write a complete story using have the amount of words others would and have them rhyme at the same time. So I give props to Linda High for that!

The story was cute, two friends going on a road trip to follow their dreams and almost making it. But I find myself always wanting more. With this book being poetry, I know that is hard to do, so I cannot critic it all that much for that. 

Another good quick read with a little sass, attitude, love, and teens. I gave this book three stars. 

                           

Find it here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1582349487?ie=UTF8&isInIframe=1&n=283155&redirect=true&ref_=dp_proddesc_0&s=books&showDetailProductDesc=1#iframe-wrapper

Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez

"Welcome to Nightshade, California—a small town full of secrets. It’s home to the pyschic Giordano sisters, who have a way of getting mixed up in mysteries. During their investigations, they run across everything from pom-pom-shaking vampires to shape-shifting boyfriends to a clue-spewing jukebox. With their psychic powers and some sisterly support, they can crack any case!

Teenage girls are being mysteriously attacked all over town, including at Nightshade High School, where Daisy Giordano is a junior. When Daisy discovers that a vampire may be the culprit, she can’t help but suspect head cheerleader Samantha Devereaux, who returned from summer break with a new “look.” Samantha appears a little . . . well, dead, and all the most popular kids at school are copying her style.
Is looking dead just another fashion trend for Samantha, or is there something more sinister going on? To find out, Daisy joins the cheerleading squad."

I picked this book up as just a quick read, but was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I like the comedic quality to it. I knew I was reading a young adult book, and it is a very small book but the author did a good job at telling a story, introducing the characters, and ending it in a satisfying way. I easily connected with the main character, Daisy, and completely understood the emotions she was going through. It is the first book in a series, and even thought the book ended on a was that made the book a stand alone, it  also left opportunities for more books. If I come across the others books in the series I may get them, but I probably will not go out and purchase them as a set from a book store or Amazon. If you are looking for a book that you can read in just a few days, that has a little comedic mystery, as well as some supernatural characters, than I recommend this book for you. 

I give this book a three out of five stars.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

"Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective…but there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

Since its publication, Stephen Chbosky’s haunting debut novel has received critical acclaim, provoked discussion and debate, grown into a cult phenomenon with over three million copies in print, spent over one year at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and inspired a major motion picture starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a story about what it’s like to travel that strange course through the uncharted territory of high school. The world of first dates, family dramas, and new friends. Of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Of those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up."

 Before I read this nook I watched the movie first. I thought it was great! So great that I went out and bought the movie the next day, it was also so great that i spent $15 to buy a new copy of the book. Even when I was buying it I thought the price was to steep, but I liked the movie so much that I bought it anyways. So when      I started to read the book i was suprised by the format it was written in. It is made up of letters, and that was not what I was expecting, but as you read on you realize that this was the only way that this story could have been written. I was suprised also how good the writers of the movie stayed close to how the book was written. As we know script writters like to change the story when they make a movie, but with this one they didn't do a half bad job at it. 
My only real complaint about the book was that I wish it was longer. But it is selfish to say that because the story ran its course, I just didn't want to leave the characters yet. I felt like this is book that should be a required reading in High School. There are some parts that maybe a student shouldn't read, but there are other parts that I think could help them with the changes and the choices that they are going to have to make. 

I give this book a five out of five stars!!

Crooked by Laura and Tom McNeal

"

Clara Wilson and Amos MacKenzie are finding their lives turned upside down: by each other, by fickle friendships, by failing families, and by the two meanest brothers in town. As the pressures of high school and home life collide, Clara and Amos struggle to maintain their identities amid the chaos. Honesty may be the answer...but it can be awfully hard to find."

I have not read many, what I call, "Teen" novels. By "Teen" I mean fiction books about life as an average teenager when something out of the norm happens, and I am not talking about meeting vampires and falling in love with the supernatural world. Just regular people that completely possible, although sometimes bad, things happen to them. This is one of those books, and I was impressed by it. I really could not put the book down. I mean I was reading it while waiting for the Super Bowl Commercials to come on. (Yes, that means I was reading it while the game was in play.) I connected with the characters, and wanted the best out come for them. Even though at some points I did not know what the outcome would be. Because in all honesty I cannot remember the last book that I read that the ending was not what I wanted it to be. 


I will always applaud authors who collaborate to write a novel. Especially husband and wife (ditto to him for letting his wife's name be first!! :} ) I have tried writing with others and it is not the easiest thing in the world, or the next easiest, or the next easiest after that! I would probably read this book again, but maybe in a few years or so.

So after all of that I am giving this book a 4 out of five stars.