Category Archives: Family Problems

Teen Book Fest Author: “Noggin”

Posted on April 24, 2014 by Victoria Waddle

Noggin by John Corey Whaley When Travis comes back to high school after a five-year absence, one of his classmates calls out “Noggin!” And the principal frowns and the geometry teacher makes the boy apologize. Because it’s rude … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Young Adult Literature | Tagged book reviews, cancer, cryogenics, friendship, gay teens, gay youth, John Corey Whaley, Noggin, Ontario Teen Book Fest, YA fiction, YA literature | 1 Comment

Realistic Romance/Guy Books: “The Spectacular Now”

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Victoria Waddle

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp “’Beauty’s all around me right here. It’s not in a textbook. It’s not in an equation.’” This is Sutter Keely’s mantra. He lives in the spectacular now. As he says, “’I was never … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Mature Readers, Movie Tie-In, Romance, Young Adult Literature | Tagged alcoholics, family problems, movie tie-in, nerds, romance, Spectacular Now, Tim Tharp, YA fiction, YA literature | Leave a comment

More sequels!

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Victoria Waddle

I know we’ve been working on these for a while–thankfully, they are now here! Unsouled (book 3 of the Unwind series) by Neal Shusterman Champion (book 3 of the Legend series) by Marie Lu Fever (book 2 of the Chemical … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure Stories, Fable/Fairy Tale/Fantasy, Family Problems, Fiction, Horror/Mystery/Suspense, Romance, Sci-Fi/Futuristic, Young Adult Literature | Tagged Amanda Hocking Battle, Awaken trilogy, book reviews, Chemical Garden Trilogy, His Fair Assassin series, Hunted trilogy, Katie Kacvinsky Dark Triumph, Lauren DeStefano Tidal, Legend trilogy, Marie Lu Fever, Michael Vey trilogy, Neal Shusterman Champion, Nightshade series, Richard Paul Evans Prey, sequels, Skinjacker trilogy, trilogies, Unwind trilogy, Watersong series, YA fiction, YA literature | Leave a comment

Realistic Romance: “Fangirl”

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Victoria Waddle

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell Although Cath and Wren are identical twins who’ve always shared a love of Simon Snow Books (think Harry Potter) as well as a bedroom, when they go away to the University of Nebraska for college, Wren … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Over 375 pages, Romance, Young Adult Literature | Tagged abandonment, bipolar disorder, book reviews, college life in literature, Eleanor and Park, Fangirl, identical twins, mental illness, Rainbow Rowell, realistic romance, romance, twins, University of Nebraska in literature, YA fiction, YA literature | Leave a comment

Teen Book Fest Author: “Where Things Come Back”

Posted on April 8, 2014 by Victoria Waddle

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley Cullen Witter must identify the body of Oslo, his teen cousin, who has just died of a drug overdose. The experience in the morgue leads Cullen to reflect on his life in … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith-Based/Religious Element, Family Problems, Fiction, Horror/Mystery/Suspense, Young Adult Literature | Tagged Arkansas, book reviews, brothers, family problems, John Corey Whaley, kidnapping, religion, small towns, small towns in fiction, Where Things Come Back, YA fiction, YA literature, zealotry, zealots | Leave a comment

Teen Book Fest Author: Check out trailer for “Noggin”

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Victoria Waddle

“Listen—Travis Coates was alive once and then he wasn’t. Now he’s alive again. Simple as that. “The in between part is still a little fuzzy, but Travis can tell you that, at some point or another, his head got chopped … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Problems, Fiction, Romance, Sci-Fi/Futuristic, Young Adult Literature | Tagged book reviews, book trailer, John Corey Whaley, MTV book trailer, Noggin, Ontario Teen Book Fest, YA fiction, YA literature | Leave a comment

Sci-Fi: “Ship Breaker”

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Victoria Waddle

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi In the aftermath of environmental apocalypse, in the world of ship breaking on the Gulf Coast, Nailer survives by pulling copper wire from grounded oil tankers. He, like everyone else he knows, is looking for … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure Stories, Environmental Issues, Family Problems, Fiction, Human Rights Issues, Sci-Fi/Futuristic, Young Adult Literature | Tagged book reviews, clipper ships, drug abuse, drug addiction, drug dealers in literature, environmental issues, moral dilemmas, New Orleans, oil tankers, poverty, recycling, science fiction, The Gulf Coast, wealth, YA fiction, YA literature, yachts | Leave a comment

“The Miseducation of Cameron Post”

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Victoria Waddle

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth Cameron Post and Irene Klauson have always been best friends. They do everything together including all those things they shouldn’t do, like shoplift. And there’s always been an edge to their … Continue reading →

Posted in Controversial Issue/Debate, Faith-Based/Religious Element, Family Problems, Fiction, Human Rights Issues, Mature Readers, Over 375 pages, Young Adult Literature | Tagged accidents, coming of age, conversion therapy, death, friendship, fundamentalism (religion), gay youth, GLBT, GLBTQ, grief, guilt, lesbians, Montana, orphans | Leave a comment

“Out of Reach”

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Victoria Waddle

Out of Reach by Carrie Arcos Rachel’s brother Micah is a meth addict. She’d like to think he is getting better—after his stint in rehab, especially. But Micah never wanted to go to rehab, and he is back to using … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure Stories, Family Problems, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult Literature | Tagged book reviews, brothers and sisters, drug addiction, drug dealers in literature, family problems, meth addiction, methamphetamine, methamphetamine addiction, National Book Award Finalist, San Diego, YA fiction, YA literature | Leave a comment

“How to Lose Everything”

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Victoria Waddle

How to Lose Everything: A Mostly True Story by Philipp Mattheis Sam, Eric, Schulz, and Jonathan are four friends living in a surburb of Munich, Germany. They mostly hang out at the skateboard park, a group of lost boys, adrift. … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure Stories, Controversial Issue/Debate, Family Problems, Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Mature Readers, Young Adult Literature | Tagged abandoned houses, conduct of life, drugs, ethics, friendship, Germany, hi-low reading, high school students, Read 180, teenage boys, theft, YA fiction, YA literature | Leave a comment