I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Cammie, a sophomore at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, narrates this story of her adventures at school, which secretly trains girls to be spies.  The outside world, including the local town of Roseville, Virginia, believes the girls are all rich and spoiled snobs. As part of their training, they learn multiple languages, intensive world history, cultures, assimilation techniques and covert operations. On a practice operation in town, Cammie realizes a local boy sees her, even though she’s known as Cammie the Chameleon because of her skill at hiding in plain sight. When he starts paying attention to her, Cammie struggles between building a relationship with him and concealing her true identity. I loved the way Ally Carter made this story funny and seem like it could almost be true. This title is the first of five in the series, and I can’t wait to read the rest of them!

Reviewed by Ms. Goldstein-Erickson

Secrets by Lauren Kunze with Rina Onur

Secrets by Lauren Kunze with Rina Onur

This book in the Ivy series picks up with Harvard freshman Callie Andrews returning to Cambridge from Thanksgiving with her family in California.  Callie is up to her neck in trouble: she’s being blackmailed by her magazine editor who has a copy of an incriminating video of Callie and her high school boyfriend; her perfect Harvard boyfriend Clint has told her he needs “space” from her,  her best college friend Vanessa has disowned her completely, and she’s made a huge mistake with the hottie from across the hall.

This book is just as quickly read as the first one; I read it in a long evening and simply couldn’t put it down.  While Callie and her friends may not be the most realistic portrayal of college students, they sure are the most fun ones I’ve read about lately.  This is the perfect book for summer beach reading, if you’re looking to forget about your own problems for awhile, or if you’re a Gossip Girl or Clique fan.

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

This fast-paced book is the perfect choice for light reading, either between your finals studying or when you’re avoiding school completely.  One of our students compared Godbersen’s books to Gossip Girl but back in time, and she was right.  Her books are full of gossip, rumors, fashion, friendship and romance.  This book takes place in New York City during the the Jazz Age of the Roaring Twenties.  It’s the story of three young women, not even out of their teens.  Cordelia Grey and Letty Larkspur have literally escaped from Union, Ohio, Cordelia from a marriage she felt forced into and Letty from her harsh father and up-at-dawn farm family.  Readers find out Cordelia is looking for the father she never knew while Letty hopes to become a star on Broadway.  Astrid Donal is a stylish, flapper whose mother is on her fourth wealthy husband, and lives a life of luxury.  Cordelia will find out that her father is a wealthy alcohol bootlegger, who lives in a mansion and is thrilled to have her back in his life.  Letty will get a job at at a speakeasy as a cigarette girl, making friends with other young women also seeking their fortunes in the Big Apple.  Astrid turns out to be the spoiled girlfriend of Cordelia’s half-brother Charlie.

The girls’ lives become complicated in ways that are hard to imagine, but I promise you that there is never a dull moment in this book.  As you can probably tell, I loved this book just as much as Godbersen’s previous series called The Luxe, which is about young women in Manhattan during the turn of the twentieth century.  I recommend this title to fans of Godbersen’s earlier books, anyone looking for a light and engaging read, and fans of the Clique series and Gossip Girls.

Here is a LINK to the author’s website, which includes videos, photos, games and even a blog.

Click HERE for a review of Luxe.

The Ivy by Lauren Kunze with Rina Onur

The Ivy by Lauren Kunze with Rina Onur

This irresistible book had me sucked in by the first page.  Really!!! Although it’s basically a chick book like the Gossip Girl series, the main character is a California blond who’s beginning her freshman year at the most prestigious of all the ivy league schools–Harvard.  And she doesn’t fit in at all.  Although Callie definitely has the brains and grades to be at the school, she didn’t go to one of the New York prep schools, doesn’t wear pearls to the dining hall, and doesn’t dress in designer clothes. In fact, she wears jeans, t-shirts and rubber thongs to her first week orientation activities!  In contrast, Callie’s three roommates couldn’t be more different from her.  Mimi’s from France , looks like a model and seems to wake up with a different boy each morning.  Preppy Vanessa dresses in designer duds, and seems to be consumed with finding the hottest boy on campus to brand as her own territory.  Lastly, there’s Dana, the devout fundamentalist Christian from Goose Creek, South Carolina who doesn’t even think girls should date in college.  Add to this the fact that Callie’s longtime boyfriend Evan breaks up with her in a text message during first week of classes, and you can see that the drama in this quick book will be nonstop.

The writers (both recent Harvard grads themselves) take humorous look at various aspects of the ivy experience, from the Final Clubs (secret societies) to the over-the-top parties to the excessive competition to write for one of the school publications.  I have to admit that I could not put this book down until I finished reading it.  It’s not my usual type of genre, but Callie and the whole ivy league college experience, yes I know it is unrealistic, captivated me immediately.  I can’t wait for the sequel to come out!  I recommend this to teen readers who are fans of Gossip Girl, the Clique books, and stories with a lot of drama.

Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky

Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky

When Susan Tate finds out her seventeen-year-old daughter Lily is pregnant, she is shocked.  When Lily tells her that she got pregnant on purpose, and so did her two best friends, Susan doesn’t know where to turn.  This gripping novel tells the story of a teen pregnancy pact from the perspective of the girls’ mothers, as well as their own.  While Lily, Jessica and Mary Kate thought they were taking their own futures into their hands, they had no thought as to how it would impact their mothers, who are also best friends.  What makes this especially difficult for the small Maine town where the families live is that these are “good girls,” with great grades from good families where were planning to go to college in the fall.  Add to this the fact that Lily’s mom Susan is principal of the local high school the girls all attend, and that she herself was unmarried and pregnant at seventeen.  But wait, there’s also a fourth girl who may be involved, the daughter of one of the town’s founders and owner of the company that supports most of the local economy.

This book keep me up until the wee hours of the morning reading it.  I had to know if Susan kept her job, and if Lily’s baby would be OK.  What I especially liked about this book was that it included the mothers and their feelings in the story.  I think this would be a perfect choice for fans of Jodi Picoult and Sarah Dessen.

This is a repost for those folks who don’t read the blog over the summer.  Since then we’ve also gotten some other books by the author: The Secret Between Us, Twilight Whispers and Looking for Peyton Place.

Not My Daughter

Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky

When Susan Tate finds out her seventeen-year-old daughter Lily is pregnant, she is shocked.  When Lily tells her that she got pregnant on purpose, and so did her two best friends, Susan doesn’t know where to turn.  This gripping novel tells the story of a teen pregnancy pact from the perspective of the girls’ mothers, as well as their own.  While Lily, Jessica and Mary Kate thought they were taking their own futures into their hands, they had no thought as to how it would impact their mothers, who are also best friends.  What makes this especially difficult for the small Maine town where the families live is that these are “good girls,” with great grades from good families where were planning to go to college in the fall.  Add to this the fact that Lily’s mom Susan is principal of the local high school the girls all attend, and that she herself was unmarried and pregnant at seventeen.  But wait, there’s also a fourth girl who may be involved, the daughter of one of the town’s founders and owner of the company that supports most of the local economy.

This book keep me up until the wee hours of the morning reading it.  I had to know if Susan kept her job, and if Lily’s baby would be OK.  What I especially liked about this book was that it included the mothers and their feelings in the story.  I think this would be a perfect choice for fans of Jodi Picoult and Sarah Dessen.

The Sky is Everywhere

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

The book came recommended to me by a number of friends, and I’m sorry I put off reading it over Spring Break.  It is absolutely wonderful -  funny, heartfelt, first love, grief–so many emotions in one story.  Lennie’s older sister Bailey has died suddenly and unexpectedly, and Lennie is completely unable to deal with her grief.  Bailey has always been the star of the Walker sisters, outgoing and vivacious.  But Lennie has her own talents, although she tends to downplay them in favor of letting her beloved sister bask in the spotlight. After Bailey dies, Lennie’s family goes into a dark place -she, her Gram (who raised her) and her Uncle Big barely talk, and all the food Gram so lovingly prepares tastes like ashes to Lennie.  Lennie doesn’t even answer texts or calls from her  best friend Sarah.  The only person who seems to understand her overwhelming grief is Toby, Bailey’s boyfriend.  But their feelings for each other keep getting confused, making them both feel terrible guilt, but they can’t seem to stay away from each other.  In addition, the new talented musician in town, Joe, starts coming over to Lennie’s house every morning to spend time with her, Gram and Big.  She doesn’t understand why he keeps coming around, but can’t help beginning to fall for him.

This is the perfect book for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jodi Picoult.  I think any young woman would be drawn to the story, as the writer captures Lennie’s emotions perfectly, even down the the poetry she jots down on everything from paper coffee cups to blank sheets of music, to park benches.  Don’t miss this title!

Shine, Coconut Moon

Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger

Sam has never known much about her Indian amd Sikh heritage, that is until the bombings of the World Trade Towers in New York City on 9/11.  Seventeen-year-old Samar’s mom has always told her that she’s an American, no different than anyone else, so much so that one of the Indian girls at school calls her a “coconut,” brown on the outside but white on the inside.  Everything changes when her turbaned uncle shows up on their apartment doorstep one week after the bombings, wanting to reconcile with his sister and bring the family back together.  You see, Sam has never met her grand-parents who live only about 90 minutes away, who her mother calls controlling.  In fact, she hasn’t spoken to them since she divorced “what’s his name,” which is what she calls Samar’s father, who she’s also never met.

While driving her home from school, some boys attack Uncle Sandeep’s car shouting “Go back home, Osama!” and Samar experiences racism for the first time.  Suddenly, everything is different, and Sam becomes sensitive to how her best friend’s family and even her boyfriend Mike respond to Uncle Sandeep.  What she learns about her family and her heritage will change her outlook and life forever.

I really liked this book, although it took a little while to get into.  Samars discovery about herself, her family’s religion and its heritage felt very realistic to me.  I think it’s important for all of us to look at ourselves and our views about South Asians and Middle Easterners before jumping to prejudiced and ignorant conclusions.

All We Know of Heaven

All We Know of Heaven by Jacqueline Mitchard

I guess I’m just a sentimental fool, but I absolutely loved this book!!! It details the story of two sixteen-year-old best friends who are in a horrible car accident on a snowy December afternoon. The girls have been best friends forever, and even look a lot alike. When Maureen’s Toyota crashes head-on with a long-haul trucker, everyone assumed it was her that arrived at the hospital DOA, and that Bridget is the one in the coma. One set of parents plans a funeral, and the other begins a bedside vigil with the girl they think is their daughter. When dental records show that Maureen is the girl who actually survived, the small Minnesota town in thrown into chaos, with her parents rejoicing their daughter’s survival, and Bridget’s parents and boyfriend stunned and in inconsolable mourning.

It turns out the Maureen has sustained injuries that have the doctors doubting if she’ll ever be able to live anything close to a normal life. But Maury is a fighter, and the last half of the story details her struggles to learn to think & talk, walk, and function on a day-to-day level again. Add to this her confused feelings for Bridget’s boyfriend Danny, and his for her. Don’t forget about the guilt Maureen feels about being the friend to survive, and Bridget’s parents angry reaction towards her.

I could not put this book down, and won’t admit how many times it made me cry.

Honey Baby Sweetheart

Honey Baby Sweetheart by Deb Caletti

Honey Baby Sweetheart by Deb Caletti was one of the most empowering love stories I’ve ever read.  Ruby McQueen spent sixteen years being the Quiet Girl at school, but when she meets mysterious, rich, bad-boy Travis Becker, her persona changes- and not necessarily for the better.  Ruby’s struggle to find her true identity apart from Travis’ influence is mirrored by her mother struggle to finally let go of the long-time love she kept for her ex-husband (Ruby’s father). Of course, the pair gets help along the way from the members of their kooky book club who collectively call themselves the Casserole Queens.  This book was surprisingly funny, touching, and insightful (and worth your time, I promise!).  I recommend it to anyone who has a free Saturday, and is looking for a book with a hopeful message.   B+ (at least B) material- if you’re an action/adventure kind of person, it might get slow in the middle, but it’s still worth reading till the end.

Written by Elisa   Class of 2009

Indie Girl

Indie Girl by Kavita Daswani

Indira Konkipuddi, known as Indie to her friends, has dreamed of a career in the fashion industry since she was eleven.  Despite her neurosurgeon dad’s insistence on good grades and Ivy League possibilities, Indie knows she absolutely MUST be chosen for the internship at Celebrity Style magazine, even if it means chasing the editor’s limousine to get her attention!  When she actually accepts a summer job as the editor’s babysitter, she’s sure Aaralyn Taylor will have to see her fashion savvy and creativity and offer her the coveted internship position.

However, warnings should have gone off in her head when Aaralynn tells her that  “people from your part of the world are good with domestic duties.”   Oblivious the the racial slight at her Indian heritage, Indie, gives the nanny job her all, but learns a lot more about life than fashion.  Along the way she visits Milan, but only as the hired help, even though she overhears a conversation that may help save Celebrity Style.  Although the may not be the deepest novel I’ve ready lately, curling up with it is a wonderful way to spend a rainy weekend afternoon.

Currently available at the Berkeley Public Library.