Book Musing

My Favourite Manson Girl by Alison Umminger

February 24, 2016 No Comments

MY FAVOURITE MANSON GIRL reads like a darker themed Sarah Dessen novel. Umminger draws the reader in with a fresh take on Charles Manson and the girls he molded into monsters. Often drawing parallels from THE GREAT GATSBY and the main character’s life, Umminger manages to humanize the world’s arguably most despicable man and women on earth. A fascinating read that both teens and adults will find enlightening. Dive into the book: Fourteen year old Anna runs away from her small town life to her […]

YA

Faceless by Alyssa Sheinmel

February 23, 2016 2 Comments

FACELESS is a poignant novel about Maisie, a girl coping with the loss of her face. Like the beloved DAWN ROCHELLE series, FACELESS is quite the emotional roller-coaster. Readers will cringe at the graphic description of Maisie’s face transplant, tear-up when Maisie hits rock bottom, and laugh out loud over the jokes she makes about her situation. Sheinmel digs deep into the human core and teaches us that no matter our trials, life is what we make of it. Dive into the book: Maisie’s […]

Middle-Grade

A Little Bit of Spectacular by Gin Phillips

February 23, 2016 No Comments

A sweet, coming-of-age story about the strength of friendship and the magic of love. Phillips writes a heartfelt, easy-to-read novel about an eleven-year-old and her newfound friend unraveling a mystery, helping them understand that sometimes spectacular things come from the most ordinary stories. Phillips avoids the clichés and creates a believable eleven-year-old with depth and heart. A LITTLE BIT OF SPECTACULAR is a wonderful, albeit cheesy, read that cleverly young readers and adults will appreciate. Dive into the book: After Olivia’s mom gets […]

YA

100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith

February 20, 2016 No Comments

100 SIDEWAYS MILES is a laugh-out-loud, honest dark comedy reminiscent of GOING BOVINE. Smith creates a novel that tugs at the heartstrings and leaves readers wondering about the characters well after the last page is turned. The characters, both minor and major, are written with such depth and emotional range that you almost forget they are fictional. Smith beautifully recreates the awkward and confusing phases of growing up and captures seemingly ordinary moments in the most extraordinary way. Dive into […]