Honesty

 "Maybe we weren't meant to collide. Maybe we were mean to explode."

Honesty by Seth King is a captivating coming of age love story. At the beginning of this novel, Coley (19) says " Nobody would ever want to read about  how this life introduced two kids to each other over one messy year, remade their worlds and taught them what glory tasted like and then yanked them apart again." Coley and Nicky meet in a huge gym filled to the brim with people dripping  sweat. This is Coley's father's last-ditch effort to get him to be 'one of the guys'. Someone who loves sports, has a deep manly laugh, and would make fun of guys just like Coley. Fortunately, Coley doesn't really care about what his dad thinks. When Coley is teased in the gym about his high-pitched girly laugh by the 'Bro Pack' , Nick is peer-pressured to join in. He complies but with little consent. Coley and Nicky keep finding themselves crossing paths with each other. Which is great for Coley but somewhat awkward for Nicky, still feeling guilty about the harassing. Coley and Nicky start to become better friends, possibly more. Almost as fast, Nicky starts putting walls up around himself that prevent him from accepting his own sexuality and feelings towards Coley. Nicky continues to push Coley away, and all Coley wishes is that Nicky would just let what is meant to happen, happen.

I think this book is good for ages 13+. It includes topics such as romance, sex, and tragedy. I would give this book 5 chickens.

If you liked The Great American Whatever by Tim Federle, Between Mom and Jo by Julie Anne Peters, or Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli then you might enjoy this novel.

If you like Honesty then you might want to read, Know Not Why by Hannah Johnson, I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson, or Jerk Bait by Mia Siegert.       

Eleanor and Park

Eleanor and Park, by Rainbow Rowell is a love story, but definitely not along traditional lines. Eleanor is a slightly overweight, red-haired teenager. Getting teased at school is almost as bad as her home life with four younger siblings, an abusive step-dad and a mother who doesn't stand up for herself or for Eleanor. Eleanor is smart and witty, but not what most people would consider typical. She has outbursts and wears only brightly colored hand-made or hand-me-down clothes. Anyone who is willing to get to know her would see that she is a great person. That's the problem though, no one does. Park is a shy boy, he is half Asian, kind, lonely, loves music, and is always reading comic books. He always has his headphones on, maybe to block out the sound of his dad trying to force him to be someone he isn't. When Eleanor and Park meet and slowly start to get to know each other they realize they are more alike than they ever thought, and even with their differences become close and help each other move past all boundaries.

Other important characters

• Ben, Maisie, Mouse, and Richard Jr. - Eleanor's younger siblings
• Richie - Eleanor's alcoholic, abusive step-father
• Josh - Park's popular younger brother who is already taller than him
• Sabrina - Eleanor's mother
• Jamie - A war veteran who wants his sons to be exactly like him

I think this book is good for ages 11+. Some topics readers should know about include: domestic abuse and romance. I would give this book 5 chickens. 

If you liked this book you should read: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, Drowning is Inevitable by Shalanda Stanley or Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa. 

If you liked Truest by Jackie Lea Sommers, Infinite In between by Carolyn Mackler, or A Step Toward Falling by Cammie McGovern you should enjoy this book.

The Clockwork Angel

"The Clockwork Angel" is the first book in the trilogy, The Infernal Devices, by Cassandra Clare. This novel is about a girl named Tessa Gray. Tessa is a girl who loves literature. Tessa has never had a great life. She never knew her parents and her brother who she adored, left the house. When her last living member in her family dies, she goes to the only place she thinks she can find her brother. She got a letter from him telling her to go to London, which is exactly where she goes. When in London, she is confronted and captured by evil creatures in the shape of humans. Then she is saved by the Shadowhunter Parabati pair Will Herondale and Jem Caristairs. Parabati are closer than brothers, especially this pair. But Will and Jem are almost as opposite as you can get. Jem is quiet, considerate, and a violin player and perhaps the only one in the London Institute who is not constantly ridiculed by Will. Will is rash, closed off, handsome, poetic, always getting n trouble, and seems to care very little about his own life. When the three start to become close friends, they realize maybe the all have something that is holding them back from the ones they love. This novel is set in the 1800s.

Other Important Characters:

• Charlotte Fairchild - Wife of Henry, Shadowhunter, and leader of the London institute.
• Henry Branwell - A quirky inventor, Shadowhunter, always lost in his own inventions and mind, who is married to Charlotte.
• Jessamine Lovelace - A prissy, beautiful, Shadowhunter who seems to hate everyone and everything.
• Sophie - A maid working in the Institute, who has a rough past and who becomes quick friends with Tessa.

Themes readers should know about are romance, violence, and emotional heartache. I would give this book 4.5 chickens. I think it is a great story with characters you can relate to. This is a partner series to The Mortal Instruments.

This book is good for ages 12+. Also a tag along book to both The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices is a book called The Bane Chronicles. I would suggest reading the The Mortal Instruments and then Infernal Devices, followed by  The Bane Chronicles. 

If you liked Carry On by Rainbow Rowell or The Mortal Instruments also by Cassandra Clare, then this book is good for you.

If you liked this book I recommend Divergent by Veronica Roth or The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan.

City of Bones

The City of Bones is a book from one of my favorite series of all time, second only to Harry Potter. This is the first book (of six) in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. This book is about a girl named Clary Fray, everything about her life is normal. All she wants is to hang out with her best friend Simon Lewis, and her mother whom she is very close to. Clary dreams of maybe even getting into art school. Then, she starts uncontrollably drawing strange symbols, her mother is kidnapped, and she is thrust into a mysterious world with Shadowhunters, Demons, Vampires, Werewolves, Faries, and even Warlocks. She drags Simon along for a wild wide, with twists around every corner. On Clary's journey to save her mother, she might meet lifelong friends, and discover things about herself that she never knew before.

FYI for interested readers - A adaption of this book just came out on ABC family, it's called Shadowhunters and it is amazing!!

Other important characters:

• Magnus Bane - A strange, cat-eyed, glittery warlock that might have all the answers Clary is searching for.
• Alec Lightwood - A  Shadowhunter who is best friends with Jace and who seems to hate Clary from first sight.
• Isabelle (Izzy) Lightwood - An extremely pretty Shadowhunter who is the younger sister of Alec.
• Jace Wayland - A blond Shadowhunter that thinks Clary is cute.  

I would give this series 5 chickens, but this book only four chickens. The series starts getting really good around the third book, City of Glass, but you have to read the first two to understand the story line. This series has amazing characters that you can connect to, and they keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time.

Some themes readers should know about are: Violence, Romance, and Language.

This book is for ages 12+

The Rest of Us Just Live Here

The Rest of Us Just Live Here is a book by Patrick Ness about a group of friends. They live in a magical world. Unfortunately, they are not the people who get to saving of the world, they just get to, well, be there. They spend most of their time trying to get through High School. They are pretty normal even if one of them is a 1/4 god.

Mickey is just a regular guy who's sister almost killed herself and he had serious OCD. All he wants is to graduate and maybe get up enough courage to ask out his not so secret crush, Henna. Who happens to be his sisters' best friend. Maybe there are worse things than not being the hero and not always fearing for your life.

Other important characters:

Jared: Mickey's gentle giant best friend who is part god.
Nathan: A boy who Henna thinks is cute and Mickey hates.
Mel: Mickey's sister with anorexia.

I would give this book 3 chickens. I think it had good plot and characters, but the characters were under developed and the book lacked the rich detail I wanted.

Important themes readers should know about are: violence and romance.

If you want a different book like this to read you should consider Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews or The Kane Chronicles series by Rick Riordan.

Between the Lines

Between the Lines is a novel by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer. Its a book about a girl named Delilah who is already a social outcast, who can't stop reading this one fairy tale she stole from the library over and over again. She loved the way Oliver (the main character) knows what it feels like to grow up without a dad. She also has a big crush on him. One day when she reads the book it changes and suddenly she finds herself talking to Oliver. Oliver has never liked his story. He has always wanted more than being stuck in a book. Putting on the same show every day isn't doing it for him anymore and he doesn't really like the princess he is supposed to fall in love with. He has tried talking to the readers of the story but they never seem to hear him - until one day, a beautiful reader does. This is a classic fairy tale intertwined with a modern day perspective.

Other important characters:

• Jessamyn Jacobs - the author of the book Delilah loves
• Delilah's mother
• Seraphima - the girl Oliver is supposed to love

I would give this book 3 chickens.  I thought the plot and characters were okay but it didn't have a lot of detail or feeling. This book is good for ages 11+. The only theme readers should be aware of is a minimal amount of violence.

One interesting note about this book that makes it more unusual is that the author (Jodi) wrote it with her daughter (Samantha) who was only 14 when they began writing it together.

If you want a modern day fairy tale you should consider reading Gilded by Christina Farley instead.

I'll Give You the Sun

"We are all heading for each other on a collision course, no matter what. Maybe some people are just meant to be in the same story." I'll Give You the Sun is a beautifully written novel by Jandy Nelson. This is my favorite stand alone book of all time. It's about twins Noah and Jude who are inseparable and each is everything the other isn't. Jude is a powerful, beautiful girl who stands up to the bullies that torture her brother. Noah is a quiet boy who has always had the gift of art and paints on paper as well as in his mind. Noah is better at art than he is at interactions with people. They help each other through everything and are the best of friends, but as they grow older they grow apart and when tragedy strikes they realize the thing they need most is each other. This is a phenomenal coming of age story filled with art that will sweep you into a world of friendship and fierce love.

Other important characters:

• Parents of Noah and Jude.
• Brian - a crush of Noah's who loves space.
• Guillermo - a old sculptor who may have all the answers to Jude's pleas.
• Oscar - a broken boy who is a friend of Guillermo's who becomes close with Jude. 

I would give this book five chickens. This book would be good for ages 12+. Themes readers should know about are: romance, sexual violence and emotional heartache.

If you like The Misfits series by James Howe you will like this book.

If you enjoy I'll Give You the Sun you should try The Sky Is Everywhere also by Jandy Nelson.