“Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher

Info

YA Cotemporary
Publisher: Razorbill

Summary

Clay Jensen receives a set of tapes from a girl who committed suicide. The tapes take him through her journey of what she went through before she died.

Characters

Excellent characterization. Clay is easily likable—even once you find out why he is part of the tapes. Even though Hannah is dead, her voice is so real you feel she is alive.

Plot

This is one of the quickest books I have ever read through—I could not put it down. The plot hooks you right away and you can’t stop reading.

Thoughts

This is by far one of the best books I have ever read. It sticks with you and it really makes you think about life and how you treat others. It is a must-read for every teen out there.

“Just Listen” by Sarah Dessen

Info

Contemporary YA
Publisher: Viking

Summary

Annabel Greene doesn’t like confrontation—you can see this in the way she interacts with her family, and when she can’t stand up to her ex-best friend who treats her like crap. But then she meets Owen and learns to confront her feelings, revealing a startling secret about her past which she must stand up to.

Characters

Annabel is great—many teens can probably relate to her because it’s easy to understand wanting to voice your opinion but not being able to. Owen is a little on the trouble side, but we love him because he’s trying to make it work—and he falls hard for Annabel.

Plot

I couldn’t put this book down. There are scenes that will forever be ingrained in my mind. The story not only shows us why it’s important to find our voice, but it also shows us the importance of speaking up when something bad happens to us.

Thoughts

If you can’t tell from my reading list, I am a huge Sarah Dessen fan. She is my favorite YA author. This book is thus far my favorite of all of her books. It’s powerful, engaging, and it changes the way you view the world.
“Cindy Ella” by Robin Palmer

Info

YA Romantic Comedy (contemporary)
Publisher: Speak

Summary

Cindy refuses to give into the prom fever infecting her L.A. school, so she writes an anti-prom letter to the editor. This makes everyone see her as evil, except her two friends and her new “online” friend. With almost everyone against her, will she get her own night to remember?

Characters

Cindy is adorable. I like her because she takes a stand for something she disagrees with. The rest of the characters are cliché and annoying. Her two wicked step-sisters are obsessed with L.A. culture and fashion. Even Cindy’s friends got on my nerves. But the two guys she crushes on are cute and stand-up dudes.

Plot

I really liked the plot—I especially enjoyed the mystery behind the online friend and who she discovers it really is in the end.

Thoughts

Every other line in this book is a cultural reference. It’s funny at first, but gets old very quickly. I liked the plot, but had a hard time concentrating because I was annoyed at all the references that were supposed to be funny. Still, I can imagine that teens will keep turning the pages to find out what happens with Cindy’s romantic life.

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Summary

Bella Kirkwood gets shipped from her rich life with her dad in New York, to Oklahoma where her mom has just remarried. Oklahoma is the opposite of everything she’s ever known—it’s low-class, small, and filled with cows.

Characters

Bella is a little annoying at first, but she comes around and you fall in love with her. I also love the guy she crushes on toward the end. He is hot. Bella’s mom bugs me, but don’t all mothers?

Plot

About half-way through a “mystery” happens, and I loved watching Bella try to uncover it. This is when the plot really picked up for me and kept me turning the pages.

Thoughts

My preference for YA novels is serious, contemporary, and romance. But I know Jenny is funny, so I picked this one up. I was getting my car vacuumed/washed and became so engrossed in the novel that I didn’t hear them call my name to tell me my car was finished. I sat for three hours and finished the book! That is a good book to me.

Jenny is hilariously funny (I’m pretty sure a couple of people looked my way when I laughed out loud).

This is published by a Christian publisher, and was clean through and through. Any teen can read it and not be offended by anything (except maybe cows?!). Even though I love Christian fiction, I’m not one for “preaching” scenes, which happens once in the book. Still, Bella is so funny and cracks a joke about everything, that it makes it okay to me.

I would highly recommend this for any teen (or parent!)