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Here is the official blurb from Goodreads: ALONG FOR THE RIDE by Sarah Dessen  It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live. A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend. In her signature pitch-perfect style, Sarah Dessen explores the hearts of two lonely people learning to connect. **** I’m always impressed by Sarah Dessen’s novels. Let’s just establish that upfront. She manages to write about romance, family life, and the stresses that come with being a teenage girl. ALONG FOR THE RIDE isn’t my favorite Dessen novel, but I found a lot to love. Auden is an incredibly lonely character – my favorite kind. In her mission to please her mother, Auden has been groomed for academia. Shopping, gossiping, hanging out – these are pursuits for lesser girls who don’t have a bright future in front of them. Auden decides to take a break from this life of constant studying and perfection by heading to her father’s for the summer. Her father […]

To be completely transparent, Jennifer is a fellow Class of 2k12 classmate. I purchased the book. Here is the official blurb from Goodreads: BREAKING BEAUTIFUL by Jennifer Shaw Wolf Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship. When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness. **** Allie is devastated. Her boyfriend is dead, but she managed to make it out of the accident alive. Everyone thinks that she’s taking his death hard – but there’s more to the story here. Trip abused Allie, and she can’t remember the details around his death. And with the town mourning his death, Allie feels isolated. No one can understand what she’s going through because no one knew how he treated her. As the novel unfolds, Allie’s memories begin to return. We get flashbacks that show how her relationship with Trip began and devolved.  As she slowly opens herself up to an old friend – and potential new love – Allie slowly realizes that others did know what she went through. Countering this slow growth, the mystery of the novel – what really […]

Here is the official blurb from Goodreads: BRUISED by Sarah Skilton  When Imogen, a sixteen-year-old black belt in Tae Kwon Do, freezes during a holdup at a local diner, the gunman is shot and killed by the police, and she blames herself for his death. Before the shooting, she believed that her black belt made her stronger than everyone else — more responsible, more capable. But now her sense of self has been challenged and she must rebuild her life, a process that includes redefining her relationship with her family and navigating first love with the boy who was at the diner with her during the shootout. With action, romance, and a complex heroine, Bruised introduces a vibrant new voice to the young adult world — full of dark humor and hard truths. **** Imogen can take care of herself. In fact, she’s almost arrogant about it. And why shouldn’t she be able to? She’s been studying Tae Kwon Do for years and has a black belt. Then the unthinkable happens. She’s at a restaurant when a shootout happens between the police and a suspect, and someone dies. Imogene is left wondering if she could have done more, and not knowing sends her spinning. The illusion of control is a strong theme in the book. Imogen thinks she can control the things around her and that she knows what to expect of her life. The shootout destroys her world view, especially when she can’t remember everything that happened. Add to that her father’s illness (which she partially blames him for perceiving him as lacking control), and Imogen has a difficult time readjusting to a world where violence seems senseless. Her black […]