Carter Briggs' senior year was supposed to be epic, filled with crazy adventures with his best friends from the Nashville Academy of the Arts: Eli, Mars and Blake. Carter was supposed to be writing his way into the college of his choice. Then one piece of his writing destroys his dreams. A simple text to his friends leads to their death in a car accident. It is not enough that Carter blames himself; one of his friends' parents wants him to face criminal charges for his role in their death. However, not everyone blames Carter. His family, his psychologist, and Mars' former girlfriend believe in Carter. Blake's amazing grandmother asks Carter to spend a goodbye day with her where they celebrate everything Blake loved and say a final goodbye. Although nervous about the day, it goes so well that other parents request their own goodbye days. Carter is not sure if they truly want to celebrate their sons' lives or want him to suffer even more. But how can he say no? This beautifully written tale of friendship, grief, and guilt will leave you transformed. Carter is a lovable and imperfect narrator whose tenuous ascent out of the darkness caused by the accident will make you both weep and cheer. He writes so humorously about his best friends that the reader will want to be a member of their "sauce crew." I loved the idea of having a goodbye day where you truly celebrate the life of beloved person who has passed away: eating their favorite foods, going to their favorite places, and doing their favorite things. It would be a powerful way to find closure after a heartbreaking loss. This is an exceptional novel. Highly recommended!
Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner
Carter Briggs' senior year was supposed to be epic, filled with crazy adventures with his best friends from the Nashville Academy of the Arts: Eli, Mars and Blake. Carter was supposed to be writing his way into the college of his choice. Then one piece of his writing destroys his dreams. A simple text to his friends leads to their death in a car accident. It is not enough that Carter blames himself; one of his friends' parents wants him to face criminal charges for his role in their death. However, not everyone blames Carter. His family, his psychologist, and Mars' former girlfriend believe in Carter. Blake's amazing grandmother asks Carter to spend a goodbye day with her where they celebrate everything Blake loved and say a final goodbye. Although nervous about the day, it goes so well that other parents request their own goodbye days. Carter is not sure if they truly want to celebrate their sons' lives or want him to suffer even more. But how can he say no? This beautifully written tale of friendship, grief, and guilt will leave you transformed. Carter is a lovable and imperfect narrator whose tenuous ascent out of the darkness caused by the accident will make you both weep and cheer. He writes so humorously about his best friends that the reader will want to be a member of their "sauce crew." I loved the idea of having a goodbye day where you truly celebrate the life of beloved person who has passed away: eating their favorite foods, going to their favorite places, and doing their favorite things. It would be a powerful way to find closure after a heartbreaking loss. This is an exceptional novel. Highly recommended!
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The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Starr Carter lives in two, very different worlds. At home, she lives in the poor black neighborhood (the ghetto) Garden Heights. Her dad is a former gang member who now owns his own grocery store, so she is known mostly as "Big Mav's daughter." Her parents are happily married, and Starr and her siblings are cherished, if not rich. At Williamsburg prep, Starr is the token black girl, and she is constantly trying not to do anything too "ghetto" or "angry black girl." Although she cares for Chris, the white boyfriend she still hasn't told her dad about, and her Williamsburg friends, she doesn't feel like she can share her real life with them. When Starr was ten, her best friend Natasha was shot in front of her in a gang drive-by. Starr didn't think something worse could happen, but she was wrong. When she and her childhood friend Kahlil leave a party together, they are stopped by a copy for no reason. While waiting outside the vehicle, Kahlil turns to reassure Starr, and the cop shoots and kills him. Kahlil was no angel, but he was unarmed and innocent that night. Now, Starr has decide what she will do with the hate she has been given to try to prevent it from happening from others. This is one of the best novels I have read, ever!!!! Thomas creates such well-drawn characters, and you will fall in love with Starr and her messy and marvelous family and friends. You will laugh out loud as her parents embarrass their kids and cry with them as their dreams of justice seem impossible. There are no stereotypes in this book, only hard truths that will sink into your soul and leave you forever changed. This book may be over 400 pages, but it read quickly. Thomas' story is so amazing that I already want to read it again. If you are going to read anything in the next year, you need to read this book. Highly recommended! The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic -Book 1 of the All for the Game series Neil Josten has been on the run his whole life from his dad, a mob boss nicknamed "The Butcher". Neil knows his safest bet is to graduate and disappear. However, Neil loves to play the popular new sport Exy, an updated form of rugby with the violence of ice hockey that is played in a plexiglass court. On the court is the one place Andrew feels alive and powerful. When the ragtag Palmetto State University Foxes recruit Neil for their team, he knows he should say no, but he can't. Neil loves playing so much that he is literally willing to die in order to play one more game, so he becomes a Fox. Although the Foxes have talented players, the dark personal lives of their players have kept their team from finding success. This year, they have a chance. Kevin, the reigning prince of Exy, has transferred to Palmetto, and Neil is wiling to work endlessly to deserve Kevin's respect. If the Foxes can figure out how now not to get killed or kill each other, they finally have a chance of greatness. Unfortunately, all of their dark histories are staying to haunt them. I LOVED this self-published series by Sakavic. I read it because on my students kept telling me how good it was, and now it is in the library because it is so amazing. Although the first book is a little tough as you are trying to distinguish all the members of the team, once you do get to know them, you will fall in love with them: the dangerous yet protective Andrew, the intense yet terrified Kevin, the sweet yet deadly Renee, etc. I could go on and on. Of course, your heart will belong to Neil who may not be big but becomes the heart of the team. The books get progressively better, and The King's Men ends the series perfectly. If you love series with flawed characters that you can't help but fall for, this is one you should pick up now. Highly recommended! P.S. The fan art for this series is seriously amazing! It is easy to get sucked in and out, 3 hours later. However, the art truly catches the spirit of the characters and how much people love them. Here is one of my favorites of Neil. It was created by Stelena-Finchel and found on Fanpop. When It's Real by Erin Watt Oakley Ford might be the most popular pop star on the planet, but right now, his life is falling apart. He hasn't been inspired to create an album in two years, and his bad boy antics are keeping public and his dream music producer from taking him seriously. His manager thinks the best way to improve his image and music is to hire a normal girl to be his girlfriend. Nor romance, no drama, just business. After the death of her parents, Vaughn Bennett could use some extra money to keep her family afloat, so when she gets an offer to be superstar Oakley's Ford's fake girlfriend, she can't afford to refuse - event though she already has a serious boyfriend is sure not to be happy with her decision. Although their first few "dates" are disasters, the closer Vaughn gets to Oak, the more she realizes that he is so much more than his bad boy image. As the fake kisses leave both of them breathless and they begin to crave each other's presence, their fake relationship begins to feel real to both of them. With the world tweeting and photographing their every step, Oak and Vaughn will need a lot of faith and trust if they are going to fight for something real. If you became enamored with Watt from her Royals series, her latest book will be the perfect fix. Watt breathes new life into the popular superstar falls for the normal girl plot. The characters in her book refuse to be stereotypes. Vaughn is such a strong-minded girl that she feels comfortable making her long-time boyfriend wait for her, despite his whining. Oak might be worshiped by teens, but he fangirls over his dream music producer who refuses to work with him. They are two lost teens making mistakes as they search for their future happiness, and you will fall in love with them along the way. I also appreciate the life Watt gives to her side characters. From the best friend/bodyguard to the superstar mom who is desperate to rekindle her relationship with her son, Watt's side characters crackle with life. If you looking for the hottest, new teen romance, this is the book you should pick up next. Highly recommended! |
AuthorMs. Smith has been the librarian at Washington HS in Sioux Falls, SD, since 2005. She enjoys reading, watching K-Dramas, Harry Potter and hanging out with her family. Archives
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