This book is exactly what it says it is: the story of why Min–short for Minerva–and Ed broke up. Told in a letter written from Min to Ed as she returns a box of keepsakes from their relationship, you hear about their first meeting when Ed shows up uninvited to Min’s best friend’s sixteenth birthday party and everything that follows. Min and Ed struggle to fit each other into their lives, but Min doesn’t belong in Ed’s athletic, basketball groupie, beer drinking clique and Ed doesn’t really mesh with Min’s classic movie loving “artsy” friends. But the more people try to tell them this relationship will never work, the more determined they become to see it through. You know–and since she’s writing this after the fact, so does Min–that the relationship is doomed before Ed shows up in the first chapter, but the little vignettes and the moments captures by the trinkets and tokens Min has collected draw you along as you find out why.

Not necessarily in plot, but in style this book is a daring departure from the norm in young adult fiction. Why We Broke Up mixes first and second person with the narrative written to “you” (Ed) and since Min’s letter is written in a single sitting on a single day, it ends up being almost stream of consciousness as she pours out every moment and every thought and every secret. I loved the originality and the authenticity of Min’s voice, but found myself lost sometimes in descriptions that would carry on for so long I forgot what she was describing. Working to concentrate on following her train of thought pulled me out of an otherwise captivating book. I did, however, love the addition of the artwork by Maria Kalman, renderings of the items Min is returning to Ed. Seeing these items described by Min added something unique to this story.

Overall, I believe Handler and Kalman have created something beautiful here. There’s a poetry to Min’s meandering narrative and this is one of those books that proves the journey is more important than the destination. Knowing where we’re headed doesn’t take anything away from this novel.

Erica’s Rating: 4/5

Kate lived a normal live once, but it was so long ago she barely remembers what that was like. After her father lost his job and her mother miscarried, Kate’s life was never the same again. Her father started staying out and drinking. When he did come home, it was only to vent his anger on Kate’s mother. It didn’t take long for Kate’s mother to turn her frustrations on the only person left: Kate. Without any friends or anyone she trusts to turn to, Kate is left to suffer in silence as her mother slowly kills her spirit.

Henry Jamison knew Kate when they were little and he thought she was beautiful, kind, vibrant, and smart. But then his family moves just as he and Kate begin to realize how much they care about each other. Six years later Henry moves back and he can’t understand what happened to the little girl he once knew. He’d never forgotten her, but now she runs if he even tries to say hello. The other students either ignore or antagonize her and it doesn’t seem like he’ll ever be able to break through the walls she’s erected around herself. Will Kate be able to trust his intentions or will she fail to recognize the first person to see through her protective barriers and care about the person underneath? What happens when an unthinkable tragedy threatens the delicate balance they’ve found?

This book is beautiful, heartbreaking, and hopeful. Bennett has created characters who live and breathe on the pages–even some of the minor characters–and she sucks you into a world no one wants to live in yet people somehow survive. The tormenting Kate suffers at school may seem overblown, but having seen it in action during my childhood I can say it’s not overdramatized by much. The cruelties of children are equalled by their kindnesses. It’s a strange phenomenon. This is also true of the families presented in the book. Henry’s family is almost too good to be true: loving, warm, generous, accepting and a perfect foil to the cold, angry home Kate has grown up in. Bennett shows readers both extremes of the spectrum and somehow manages to give the book balance, not letting it get too dark or overly fluffy and light.

Henry doesn’t ride in to her rescue as much as give her a place to turn when things get bad. In fact, for most of the book he has no idea what’s going on. He has suspicions that something isn’t right, but coming from his loving household, it’s hard for him to conceive of the abuse Kate is suffering. He is steadfast, protective, and sweet and the growing love between the two teens is a major part of what drew me into the story.

One of Kate’s strengths is her ability to forgive and let go even when faced with those I don’t know if she should forgive. Some people may interpret this as weak–I’ve seen a couple of reviews who really railed on her for this–but I think it takes a much stronger character to let go of grudges than hold onto them. By doing this Kate is not only helping herself move past this horrible phase in her life, she’s (hopefully) helping the others grow and learn from her example. Just by being who she is, Kate changes the lives of the people around her. She never even realizes she’s doing it. I think a lot of people underestimate the quieter kinds of power and strength.

A warning to the squeamish. There are a couple of rather brutal physical abuse sequences, so just be aware of that before picking up the book.

Erica’s Rating: 5/5

Willow has lead her school’s cheerleading team to Nationals and is known as the most death-defying flyer on the squad. She’s willing to try anything, but one of her flights almost turns fatal during practice one day. Only a quick save by one of her catchers saved her from breaking her neck. Physically, she’s fine, but mentally, she knows she can’t ever get back in the air. in fact, cheerleading has lost its draw entirely. Her best friend and team member Jilly is not about to let her walk away, though, and Willow knows she needs an air-tight reason she can’t come back to the squad. The school’s drama production of Dream Chaser might just be the answer.

Before cheer, Willow was a dancer. An amazing dancer who won competitions at all levels and danced with unmatchable passion, but some scared her away from dancing, just like cheer. This something though was over 6 feet and incredibly hot: her co-star Eli McAvoy. Eli and Willow used to dance together and for years they were best friends until Eli wanted more. Willow ran, but now she needs to face the antagonism between her and her on-time best friend and decide where to go from here.

The main concentration is on the show Dream Chaser which involves the best high school performers in the city, no matter what school they attend. Even though she auditioned for the chorus, the director (who also wrote and choreographed the show) casts her as the lead to replace the girl kicked out after two weeks of rehearsals. She’s taking over a position no one except the director wants her to have and her co star is none other than her ex-best friend Eli. Can she ignore the taunts and ostracization and work together with Eli or will Willow let Eli down again?

I grew up dancing. It was the only sport I was ever involved in (and, yes, it is a sport) and I love it. I watch So You Think You Can Dance on TV and still choreograph for the students at my old studio. It’s awesome. I was never as good as Willow, but I know how much work it takes and I know what she was facing going into this show. The descriptions of the exhaustion and the pain and the determination were spot-on and I loved the heavy involvement in the arts. The main characters were all interesting and I liked watching how the dynamic between the different groups (show cast, director, principle actors, spurned cheerleaders) kept shifting. One thing that bothered me (and bother I think is too strong of a word) were the mentions of Willow’s habit of quitting. It seemed like she was an extremely persistent person and determined to succeed in everything, not a quitter. In fact they really only talk about two things she quit: dance and cheer. She had a valid reason for cheer, but a weak one for dance. Still, I don’t see how that classifies her as a quitter. Otherwise, I enjoyed this book from start to finish! It began with a bang (as Willow goes splat on the floor) and kept me very interested all the way through. I especially recommend this to anyone interested in performing arts, but honestly anyone who enjoys contemporary YA books will probably like this one.

Erica’s Rating: 5/5

Before I start, I have to say that I have absolutely fallen in love with user reviews on Amazon! I am took a writing break last week (with the minor exception of jotting down ideas that pop into my head so I won’t forget them) and so I started browsing Amazon. I’ve shopped on the site before, but I usually I already knew what I wanted. I’ve never taken full advantage of the user reviews. I have read twenty-two books in the past ten days (no, I’m not joking, though part of me kind of wishes I was… that much reading might be a sign of some kind of illness) and most of them I would rate at least 4 stars. Even the worst of them would get 3. I bought them based on a few factors, but the deciding point was always the user reviews and so far they have not steered me wrong! Okay, I’m done gushing about the opinions of random strangers. Onto the books!

Libby’s entire family was in a horrible car accident. Only Libby and her father walked away, but her father walked away broken and reeling from the loss of his wife and second daughter. Lost in depression, he drops Libby off with her mother’s sister, a cranky woman known in town for her temper and her eccentricities. Libby longs for her father to return, but it’s been a year and she hasn’t even had a letter from him. She has no idea where he is or how to track him down, but even if she did how can she start when she has no phone, no computer, no money, and no friends?

Peter Jamison has lead a life a lot of people dream of, especially since the band he and his brothers formed put out a chart-topping rock album. He writes the songs and he loves performing, but what he really wants is someone who sees who he is behind the rock star, someone who doesn’t care about the fame and the fortune. One day when his family’s tour bus stops in an out of the way park in Alabama, he meets Libby who amazingly has no idea who he is and has never even heard about his band. Instantly captivated by this refreshingly honest girl, Peter convinces his family to return to this spot between shows so he can get to know her better.

Libby is thrilled to have a friend, someone she can talk to, but Peter’s family isn’t so happy about this country girl who keeps distracting him from his responsibilities in the band. His older brother makes a choice and Peter loses contact with Libby just when she needs him most. Abandoned and alone, Libby is struggling for her very survival while Peter desperately searches for the girl who has stolen his heart.

I LOVED this book. All of the characters, not just Libby and Peter, were well developed and interesting and the dynamics of this dual narrative drew me in instantly. Peter’s family is believable and their interactions well written. Certain sections of Libby’s story almost made me cry. I liked Libby’s quiet strength and her determination to persevere despite all the obstacles life has thrown in her path and Peter’s devotion would have outweighed a lot of faults… but he didn’t have any. Peter is actually the paragon of rock stars, exactly the way you hope all your idols are in real life, but his family has a lot to do with that, I think. His parents are both painted as loving and supportive, even if they (like everyone) make mistakes along the way.

Without being overly serious and weighed down by the issues present in this book, Rock and a Hard Place manages to remain uplifting. It’s a testament to the power of love, hope, determination, and trust and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes contemporary YA.

Erica’s Rating: 5/5

Sophie and Carter have lived next door to each other for years, ever since Sophie moved into town in elementary school. They’re seniors now and best friends, even if they hide their relationship from the rest of the school. It makes things easier this way, for both of them. Easier to pretend they’re normal. Easier to pretend their lives outside of school are normal. But they’re not.

Sophie’s mom is a prostitute and, in recent years, a drug addict. She disappears for months at a time and leaves Sophie in charge of her three younger siblings. Sophie has to be mother, father, taskmaster, rule maker, bill payer, tutor, and sole support when she should be enjoying high school and preparing for the rest of her life. Carter is physically scarred, but the worst damage is on the inside, the secrets no one but Sophie knows. His father was a brutal monster who abused him and his mother for years. Eventually the mental and physical abuse broke his mother and now her only solace is insanity and alcohol. His father is gone and Carter is the only one left to take care of his poor mother.

This story is as heartbreaking as it is uplifting. It touches on subjects too dark to contemplate and shows how hope, love, trust, and beauty can survive even in hellish circumstances. Chelsea Fine’s writing is poetic, but always real and her characters are believable and true. I only had one complaint: it was too short! Sophie and Carter are such beautiful characters and beautiful people that I wanted to see every minute of their days and hear more about their lives–both past and present. Still, it was fabulous to watch them both realize what they’ve known quietly for years: they are absolutely devoted to and hopelessly in love with each other. If more people persevered through adversity like Sophie and Carter do, the world would be a much better place.

Honestly, I can’t recommend this book highly enough. It will captivate you from the minute you start reading (I found it on amazon, read the first chapter, immediately downloaded the Kindle edition, and read it in one sitting) and keep you thinking about it well after you put it down. Despite the strong subject matter, the language and situations don’t make it unsuitable for younger readers. However, I would still suggest parental guidance as some of the topics mentioned will probably raise questions you may or may not want to answer. 

Erica’s Rating: 5/5

Jordan Woods is not your average girl and she wouldn’t be even if she wasn’t the captain and quarterback of one of the best high-school football teams in the state. She’s six-feet tall and just happens to be the daughter of NFL Quarterback Donovan Woods. Jordan has always been one of the guys, but even though this is how she wants it, it does have certain drawbacks. Like the fact that she’s a senior and hasn’t been kissed yet. The arrival of Ty Green changes everything.

Suddenly Ty is challenging not only her position on the team, but her sanity, her friendships, and her self-control. She’s never wanted anyone this bad and never knew a crush could cause so many problems. To top it all off, her football-star father won’t take the time to attend her games or even support her love of his sport, her best friend Sam Henry is upset and won’t tell her why, and Alabama State (her dream school) is offering her a scholarship that will probably mean she won’t play a game her entire college career. Will Jordan be able to regain control of her life or will the changes that started with Ty ruin everything?

Despite not liking sports, I love sports movies. When I heard about this book, I thought it sounded like a perfect balance. The characters were likable and entertaining and the dialogue was realistic; several times the exchanges between the characters made me laugh. I especially liked Jordan’s relationship with her father and how that progressed through the course of the book. It was believable and touching. I also fell in love with Sam Henry, Jordan’s best friend. He made me wish I knew someone like him. Ty was hot and an emotional disaster area for very understandable reasons, but I never really liked him much. Maybe it was because I always felt as though he was hiding something and we didn’t get to know him as well. The one thing that disturbed me a little was the flippant attitude toward cheating. I can see how this is probably a realistic perspective from inside the guy’s locker room (in theory, not in actuality–Jordan uses the girls locker room), but it seemed like Jordan’s friends on the team were never with the same girl. And all the girls seemed to be cheerleaders. Either that cheerleading team was huge, or those cheerleaders were very busy…

The book really focuses on three things: Jordan and football, Jordan and her dad, and Jordan and Sam Henry. It’s possible one of the reasons I didn’t like Ty much is because it was pretty obvious from the beginning that he was only there as a catalyst to set all the other events in motion. All of the main characters have decent development through the book and that’s really what kept me reading. I loved their devotion to the team and to each other and Jordan’s willingness to fight for what she wanted, even if she forgot what that was somewhere in the middle of the book. She’s a strong female character in a male dominated story and sport, but I think she held her own well. I did, however, appreciate that she eventually found girl friends who made her have some connection with the other side of herself.

Light, enjoyable, and fun, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an entertaining, romantic read. Although understanding what a flea-flicker is probably won’t hurt. 🙂

Erica’s Rating: 4/5