The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender
by Leslye Walton [YA Walton]

Ava Lavender and her brother are no ordinary twins. Ava was born with wings and her brother Henry does not speak for the first decade of his life. Even when he does begin to speak, it's rare and Henry is far more likely to be petting his dog or drawing very detailed maps than communicating with others. No matter, their mother Viviane determined that they are all less likely to be hurt and teased for their oddities if they stay in their mysterious house and do not associate with the outside world, for her own experience of the outside world led her only to heartbreak and misery. The twins live with their mother, grandmother (who has endured her own tragic losses), and a man whose loyalty is unwavering, though his exact relation, Ava isn't so sure. As Ava grows into her teenage years, she yearns for the company of more than just her household and the neighbors around her age she has befriended. Ava begins sneaking out with her neighbors to meet groups of others h er age and they are surprisingly accepting of the fact that Ava has wings. Ava creates the most daring dash from her house on the night of the huge celebration her town does for the summer solstice. As she's sneaking back home, she is invited in by someone she believes to be harmless. And that's when Ava loses herself. This book is beautifully written, but very, very dark. It is not for those looking for a nice, light read, but you will feel so much as you delve into its pages. Your heart is guaranteed to ache for Emilienne, Viviane, and Ava. -- recommended by Sam N. - Gere Branch Library [ see Sam's Reviewer Profile and more of her reviews ]

[ official Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavendr and Leslye Walton web site ]

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Kiss of Deception

Kiss of Deception
by Mary E. Pearson

Princess Lia, as first daughter of a king and queen, is destined to marry a man of her parents' choosing. She is set to marry the prince of a realm with whom her country is on edge. This match is supposed to calm the waters between the two countries, but Lia wants no part to play, especially if it means marrying a man she has never met. She and her faithful sidekick Pauline escape on her wedding day to Pauline's hometown, a place where royal traffic is minimal and their treason will not be discovered. The girls become barmaids at the local tavern and Lia catches the eye of two men passing through. She thinks she has everyone fooled. Who would recognize this shabby, hard-working barmaid as the royal girl who was supposed to solve a kingdom's problems? Little does she know, these two men are far more aware of who she is than they let on. Neither of them intended to fall for Lia, but as they grow to know her, they find their tasks much more difficult. This story is told from three different points of view — that of Lia, "the Assassin", and "the Prince," in a way that allows readers to get to know the minds of all three involved in the complications of politics, religion, and love. -- recommended by Sam N. - Gere Branch Library

[ official Mary Pearson web site ]

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The Ultimate Protein Pow(d)er Cookbook by Anna Sward

The Ultimate Protein Pow(d)er Cookbook: Think Outside the Shake
by Anna Sward [641.563 Swa]

This cookbook is nothing short of amazing for people who are looking for a way to fit more protein into their diet without adding sugar, fat, or preservatives. The cookbook provides readers with so much more than just the simple shake recipes more people think of when they think of protein powder. Anna gives the reader recipes for healthy protein bars, breads, soups, quiches, pizza, muffins, pancakes, cookies, cakes, and more! Things you've never thought of doing with protein powder are explored in this book and the results look fantastic. Anna uses a range of protein powders — everything from whey to hemp protein — so readers can find recipes that work with what they have. She also does a great job explaining the differences between protein powders so readers can understand what the pros and cons are of each protein, as well as which can be used as substitutes for one another in recipes. -- recommended by Sam N. - Gere Branch Library

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Protein Pow(d)er: the Cookbook, also by Anna Sward.]

[ official Anna Sward's ProteinPow web site ]

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Far From You by Tess Sharpe

Far From You
by Tess Sharpe [YA Sharpe]

Sophie repeats the months, weeks, and days over and over. No drugs for nine months, two weeks, six days. Not that anyone believes her. Four months ago, Sophie's best friend was killed in what looked like a drug deal gone wrong. Sophie was there that night and everyone from the police to her parents believe that she is the reason for the deal, that she relapsed and brought Mina down with her. Sophie and Mina had their secret, but doing drugs together wasn't it. Sophie is forced to attend a drug rehab center and then see a counselor to focus on her mental health. Anyone would need a counselor after seeing their best friend die. And Mina was so much more. Sophie never saw the killer's face because of his mask, but knows the police are on the wrong track with the drug bust. Can Sophie figure out who killed Mina and why before the killer silences her, too? A fresh perspective on the difficulties of bisexuality in the modern world. -- recommended by Sam N. - Gere Branch Library 

[ official Tess Sharpe web site ]

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White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

White Hot Kiss
by Jennifer L. Armentrout [YA PB Armentrout]

Seventeen-year-old Layla has never completely felt like she belonged. Being half demon, half gargoyle, she doesn't fit in with her gargoyle adoptive family, even the adoptive brother Zayne for whom she has less than brotherly feelings. Humans are out of the question because her demon half will take the soul of any human she kisses. Demons are evil and she has no interest in pursuing a relationship with one of them, either. That is, until she meets Roth, the mysterious demon who saves her life on multiple occasions. Layla begins to trust Roth and even realizes that she may want to kiss him - the first time she has had the ability to do soul without endangering a soul. Her adoptive family sees black and white when it comes to demons and the fact that she's hanging out with one is like a betrayal to them. Layla is caught in the middle of a millenniums-long battle and is more of a key player in it than she could ever imagine. -- recommended by Sam N. - Gere Branch Library[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.]

[ official White Hot Kiss page on the official Jennifer Armentrout web site ]

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Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor

Prep School Confidential
by Kara Taylor [YA PB Taylor]

Anne didn't mean to burn down part of her exclusive academy in New York. Really. The incident forces her parents to send her to boarding school outside of Boston, which is completely unacceptable to Anne. She'll do anything to get back to New York. That is, until her seemingly innocent, nerdy roommate is murdered and the school covers it up. Anne begins digging as those around her remain silent and finds out that her roommate is not as innocent as she seemed. Someone wants to silence Anne before she discovers the truth, even if they have to frame her for the murder to do it. Unexpected help with her sleuthing comes from her roommate's angry brother and a beautiful boy from school. While Anne is putting herself in harm's way each time she starts asking questions about the murder, her heart is also in danger from these two very different, but very captivating men. Will Anne solve the murder before someone silences her permanently? -- recommended by Sam N. - Gere Branch Library

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter.]

[ official Kara Taylor web site ]

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Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

Uninvited
by Sophie Jordan [YA Jordan]

The government has created a test to locate the "kill gene" lurking within some humans. Anyone who tests positive for this gene, call homicidal tendency syndrome (HTS) can kiss a normal life goodbye. When Davy Hamilton was tested, she never dreamed she would be positive. Suddenly, all of her friends and her boyfriend have abandoned her, afraid she'll snap at any moment and hurt them. Davy's admission to Julliard is revoked and given to a more "qualified" candidate. As if all of that isn't enough, Davy has been uninvited from attending her private school and sent to the cage at the public school — the only school where HTS carriers her age in the area are allowed to attend. There, she meets a dangerous boy who may not be as scary as he first seems. A deadly action by HTS carriers in another city send the country into a panic and all HTS carriers are sent away to camps. When it's time to take Davy away, she's told she can go to the camp or she can be one of a select few, the best and the brightest of HTS carriers, to become highly trained to follow government orders. Davy jumps at this chance, but soon realizes that it may not be the kind of training she can live through, and that it's not neccessarily those with HTS that are the monsters. -- recommended by Sam N. - Gere Branch Library

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Minority Report by Philip K. Dick.]

[ official Uninvited page on the official Sophie Jordan web site ]

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Skinny

Skinny
by Donna Cooner [YA Cooner]

Ever is the most talented singer in the school, but you'd never know it because she tries to draw as little attention to herself as possible. At 15 years old and 302 lbs, that isn't easy to do. Ever has tried every diet in the books, but finds herself easily discouraged and packs the pounds on. "Skinny," is the name of the voice telling Ever she isn't good enough and Skinny is everywhere. Every time Ever looks at the boy of her dreams or tries to interact with a classmate, Skinny puts Ever down so low that Ever lashes out at those around her. She decides that gastric bypass surgery is the best option for her to lose weight and get rid of Skinny once and for all. Ever has the support of her father, who only wants what's best for her, and her best friend, the boy she's known since long before her eating habits deteriorated. Coming out of the surgery, Ever begins losing weight and things start falling into place. She catches the eye of several popular kids, but she also feels like she's drifting away from her best friend. Will Ever be able to find balance with her old life and her new one? Many readers will be able to identify with the self-esteem struggles in this book. -- recommended by Sam N. - Gere Branch Library
[ official Skinny and official Donna Cooner web site ]

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The Goddess Test

The Goddess Test
by Aimee Carter [YA Carter]

Kate's mother is dying and a beautiful boy, who claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld, has promised that he can keep her alive for Kate on one condition - that she passes his seven tests. Kate can't fathom that Hades is who he says he is, that is, until she sees him revive someone from the dead. After that, Kate thinks maybe Hades could save her mom if she takes these tests. The catch is, if she passes all seven tests then she is elevated to the status of a goddess and becomes Henry's future wife, but if she fails, her mother isn't the only one in danger of dying. -- recommended by Sam N. - Gere Branch Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini.]

[ official Aimee Carter web site ]

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Wild Cards

Wild Cards
by Simone Elkeles [YA Elkeles]

Ashtyn is a very skilled female kicker on her high school football team who is voted captain by her team for her senior year. Her boyfriend, the star quarterback on the team, is distant after this new development. Derek was an elite athlete and great in school up until two years ago, when his mother died of cancer. Derek has caused some problems at his school since then and has finally gotten on the last nerve of the principal, who expels him after a graduation prank. Derek is forced to move in with his step-mom, who has decided to move them in with her father. And her sister, Ashtyn. As Derek and Ashtyn's worlds collide, there are sparks. Ashtyn doesn't want to be saved, but she suddenly wants Derek to be her savior. Derek doesn't want anyone to rely on him, but he wants to be everything to Ashtyn. The story is told in both points of view and the reader is sure to sympathize on both sides as the two struggle to come to terms with their limitations and their feelings for one another. -- recommended by Sam N. - Gere Branch Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles and Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally.]

[ official Wild Cards page on the official Simone Elkeles web site ]

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The Body Finder

The Body Finder
by Kimberly Dertin [YA Dertin]

Violet Ambrose has an unusual talent. She can hear sense dead bodies that have been murdered, thanks to a distinctive "echo" they give off. It was fine when this simply meant finding the carcasses of small animals killed for food, but when a serial killer targets her town, it becomes a matter of life and death. Her best friend since childhood, Jay, is with her every step of the way and Violet is startled to find herself hoping that their friendship may turn to something more. However, when Violet becomes a target of the serial killer herself, she has bigger problems on her hands. -- recommended by Sam N. - Gere Branch Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the other books in the series: Desires of the Dead, The Last Echo, Dead Silence.]

[Also available in downloadable audio, book-on-cd, downloadable E-book and Large Print formats.]

[ official Body Finder series page on the official Kimberly Dertin web site ]

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Enclave

Enclave
by Ann Aguirre [YA Aguirre]

For fans of the Hunger Games and Divergent, Enclave is the first in the dystopian Razorland trilogy. Kids in the Enclave only earn a name only if they make it to their fifteenth birthday. Many of them don't. Those that do are then sorted into one of three groups — Builders, Breeders, or Hunters. Deuce is a hunter and her directive is to go outside the enclave and bring home meat, facing off against the Freaks threatening to slaughter them all. Deuce has always followed the rules and wanted to be a hunter for as long as she could remember. When she is partnered with Fade, a hunter who doesn't play by the rules, her outlook begins to change and she realizes the Freak threat is more serious than the Enclave's elders are letting on. Deuce comes to understand that playing by the rules could get her killed, which sets her on a path she never expected to be on, with a boy she never thought she could trust. -- recommended by Sam N. - Gere Branch Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the other two books in the trilogy: Outpost and Horde. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth, the Legend series by Marie Lu.]

[Also available in downloadable audio format.]

[ official Enclave page on the official Ann Aguirre web site ]

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Somebody Up There Hates You

Somebody Up There Hates You
by Hollis Seamon

This short novel follows 17 year old Richie as he fights for his life in hospice. Richie has been left ravaged by his cancer treatment and he knows his time is limited. They don't just move people to hospice for nothing. Richie claims he and every other patient in hospice suffer from SUTHY (Somebody Up There Hates You). While in hospice, Richie has the pleasure of meeting 15 year old Sylvie, a fierce girl determined to make the most of the time that is given to her. Richie experiences the highest of highs and the lowest of lows as his experiences with girls send his life into a tailspin. Richie manages to find trouble at every turn with the help of his uncle and Sylvie, stressing out the hospital staff, his grandmother, and his mother (much to his dismay). Throughout the book, Richie is sarcastic and stoic about the way he handles himself, but at times he shows that he really is just a young boy battling a terrible disease. Watching Richie develop relationships with his caregivers and new friends, while trying to accept that he may not be around long to cultivate them, is a battle that is well portrayed throughout the book. The reader will find sympathy as they read about Richie, but will also find humor in his view on life. People who enjoy the twisted humor of John Green will find this book appealing. -- recommended by Sam N. - Gere Branch Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Fault in Our Stars or any other book by John Green.]

[ official Somebody Up There Hates You and Hollis Seamon web site ]

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Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel
by Cassandra Clare [YA Clare]

The first in a trilogy, this story is a cross between steampunk and supernatural that follows Tessa Gray, a girl with extraordinary powers she does not fully understand. What she does know is that she has been captured during her attempt to join her missing brother in London and is asked to demonstrate these powers, over and over, until the powers are to the liking of her captors. She is rescued by two demon slaying Shadowhunters named Will and Jem, both beautiful in contrasting ways. Seeing that she has nowhere else to go, Tessa joins them in their fight to bring down the Pandemonium Club, an evil organization full of vampires, warlocks, humans, and demons intent on taking over Britain. Tessa finds herself falling for the boys as she throws herself into the fight, but which will tear her apart first — the battle between her and the Pandemonium Club's clockwork creatures or her the battle she's waging with her own heart for two boys she doesn't know if she can even trust. -- recommended by Sam N. - Gere Branch Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the last two books in this series: Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess. The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.]

[ official Cassandra Clare web site ]

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