Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

|Edition: Paperback, 281 pages|Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire|Release Date: December 2011|Genre: Contemporary fiction, relationships, romance, sports|

|Other Books: Catching Park by Miranda Kenneally (Oct. 2012), Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach
|Overall Rating: 4/5|

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What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starting position... suddenly she's hoping he'll see her as more than just a teammate.

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A female quarterback? Get out.
Although it may not be realistic, Jordan's status of as quarterback for her high school football team sure makes for an interesting premises for a story...and a adrenaline rush of a love triangle. I don't like football let alone will you find me reading novels about the sport. Surprisingly, after a few pages into the book, I could barely tare myself away from the story. I really enjoyed Jordan's character. Jordan sees football as something more than just a sport, or a way into college. Football is Jordan's way of proving herself...especially to her hard-sell professional football player dad. Talk about a hard thing to live up to.
Getting to know not only Jordan's personal dilemmas but the "behind the scenes" of the entire team as well made the book all the more interesting. You have your star players of course, who are closest to Jordan. They protect her, carry out her plays, and of course never leave her out of a party. Alas, though these are still guys we're talking about. Even worse...jocks. Whether Kenneally had first-hand experience on either being on or observing a football team, all those stereotypes are right on the dot. Girls, hook-ups, partying, and just being egoistic. There is a lot of crude humor and sexual remarks throughout the book. Although mostly coming from the guys, Jordan is a natural "tom-boy" and is not shy about calling shots. It's what makes her character daring and fits her into quarterback material. Despite them all being gruff and fairly egoistic, Jordan and the team care for each other quite a bit. Each player has a special relationship with Jordan which heightens the emotional tension and makes the story all the more captivating.


Being the all-star member of the high school isn't always easy. For one, Jordan is NOT a guy. Jordan hangs-out, puts up with, and relies on her team so much that Jordan has little time left for any other feelings. When a new player (and quarterback) threatens to take her title, instead of showing him who's boss (or sicking the guys on him), Jordan falls in love. Fast paced and full of daring moves, Catching Jordan surprised me with each play of the game and the final score.
Be on the lookout for Kenneally's next sport-oriented book! Recommend to ages 14+

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Content Awareness:

(14+) Sensuality, sexual references, crude humor and language. Main character participates in [moderate] sexual activity.

Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti

Edition: Softcover, 308Publisher: Simon Pulse|Release Date: 2004|Genre: Contemporary fiction, love, family, friendship|
|Overall Rating: 5/5|
|More Books by Author: The Secret Life of Prince Charming, Wild Roses, The Queen of Everything, The Nature of Jade, Stay, The Six Rules of Maybe, The Fortune's of Indigo Sky, & The Story of Us (2012)

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It is summer in the Northwest town of Nine Mile Falls, and sixteen-year-old Ruby McQueen, ordinarily dubbed The Quiet Girl, finds herself hanging out with gorgeous, rich, thrill-seeking Travis Becker. But Ruby is in over her head, and finds she is risking more and more when she's with him.
In an effort to keep Ruby occupied, Ruby's mother Ann drags Ruby to the weekly book club she runs. When it is discovered that one of the group''s own members is the subject of the tragic love story they are reading, Ann and Ruby spearhead a reunion between the long-ago lovers. But for Ruby, this mission turns out to be much more than just a road trip...

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Once again Caletti has created a vividly adventurous (and humorous) home-spun coming of age story. My first Caletti novel was The Secret Life of Prince Charming and oh the characters! It's the same with Honey, Baby, Sweetheart. The characters are jewels...and the story is so familiar yet so enjoyable.
Ruby McQueen doesn't hang out with boys. She's a good girl, has one girlfriend, a love-sick insecure librarian mother, a little brother, and a chewing machine of a dog. Typical family, typical girl falls for the bad boy next door. Or is it?
I love how Caletti takes a stereotype plot like this and whips it around into a heartwarming story about something completely different–something that makes you sad when the last page turns. Ruby was naturally a keep-to-yourself type. When she suddenly catches the eye of the motorcyle-ridin' bad boy, Travis, Ruby unleashes her alter-ego that has been hiding inside her. Suddenly things starts turning upside-down. Does Ruby really like Travis or does she just like the thrill of the wind rushing against her skin as they zoom down the highway. When Ruby and her family become invovled in a complicated mission to help Lillian, an elderly woman and fellow book-club member, unite with her true love, Ruby gets a lesson in more than just love. Sometimes, adventure is way more exciting.


I love the characters–Miz June, Ann Bee, Harold (he's a hoot), Peach, Lillian, Chip Jr., Ruby, Ann, and even the guy in the whale van. They're so normal, they're people you know...but yet throw them together and you get an unforgettable journey of strength, love, friendship, and breaking away. The humorous yet serious advice the seniors give Ruby is uplifting and inspiring. Highly, highly recommend. If you're a Deb Caletti fan already–what are you waiting for!? Ages 13+


Read More Great Books Like This:
Ten Miles Past Normal by Francis O'Roark Dowell, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Faithful by Janet Fox, After the Kiss by Terra Elan McVoy, The Ruby Notebook by Laura Resau, A Little Friendly Advice by Siobhan Vivian, Girlfriend Material by Melissa Kantor

Perfectly Invisible by Kristin Billerbeck Blog Tour

It's Daisy Crispin's final semester of high school, and she plans to make it count. Her long-awaited freedom is mere months away, and her big plans for college loom in the future. Everything is under control.

Or is it?

Her boyfriend is treating her like she's invisible, and her best friend is making her sell bad costume jewelry in the school quad—and hanging out with her boyfriend. To top it off, Daisy's major humiliation of the year will be remembered in the yearbook for all eternity. It's enough to make her wonder if maybe being invisible isn't so bad after all.

Can Daisy get her life back on track? Or is she stuck in this town forever?

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Dripping with humor, drama, and the ups and downs that follow the last couple months of high school, Perfectly Invisible had all the makings of a really great story but alas the plot was...no where to be seen? Daisy's glum outlook on her social life and high school goes from bad to worse when her would-be "boyfriend"and prom date suddenly shys away from her. To top things off things are starting to heat up with her long-time crush Chase, but is he who he appears to be? And what about the constant bullying and attention Daisy has been getting from Amber and her gang? Not to mention her parents over-anxious attitude toward her college plans.

I guess the #1 problem that I had with Perfectly Invisible was that when things started getting really good and interesting...the chapter would end and sometimes it would skip several days into the future without so much as a brief note to wrap-up what important climax had occurred in the chapter before it. It was a bit frustrating. The second thing I disliked was that the story was everywhere: Daisy's high school, Daisy's friend's family dilemma, Daisy's college and job woes, and then of course her continuous–and slightly annoying–struggle between Chase and Max. Also, Daisy's parents were just outrageous at times.
 Perhaps the thing that stands out the most is that even though it fits into the category of a Christian fiction book, I felt that the religious views pushed the characters in certain ways–almost robotically–rather than help them or the story along. Daisy takes her Christianity seriously but at the same time it seemed like she used it as a crutch to get her out of tight spots. Basically that is what the story is all about that the same time–Daisy learns to make her own choices based on her Christian outlook and not to get so wrapped-up in what other people may or may not be thinking.

Since Daisy comes from a pretty conservative Christian household readers who do not normally read religious fiction may very well be "shocked" so to speak by Daisy's dating rules. Not like any of it is at all unheard of of course, but I'm thinking that compared to main-stream "dating" it is different. Too different to be enjoyed is simply a matter of taste NOT a matter of religion.  Even though Daisy goes to a Christian school it is no different than a public high school. Mean girls stalk the hallways, playboys play ball, and the geeks usually go unnoticed...but with Daisy, it's about to change.

Despite Perfectly Invisible having some plot issues, I think Daisy is humorously good example of a slightly geeky only-child finishing high school and trying to find where God is leading her in the world of adulthood.  Daisy must prove everyone wrong–er right–and snag the boy and the college of her dreams.

Recommend? Yes, especially those h.s. seniors who are moving forward in both education and life. Interest would lean more to older teens. Ages 14+

Content: Mild sensuality/kissing. Reference to drugs. (PG)

Other Books By This Author| Perfectly Dateless (Universally Misunderstood 1), Split Ends, What A Girl Wants

|Pages: 266|Release Date: July 2011|Publisher: Revell|

|Genre: Christian fiction, contemporary fiction, chic-lit, relationships, school|Content Rating: 5/5|Cover: 4/5–faces! Not good|

|Overall Rating: 4/5|

This original review is copyrighted© by Books and Literature for Teens. Blog Tour possible by Revell/Baker House Publishing.

After the Kiss by Terra Elan McVoy

Becca has been head-over-heels for Alec from the instant they met. He's a brainy jock with a poet's heart—in other words, perfect for her.
Camille is careful with her words and protective of her heart, especially since Chicago. Then a new boy in her new town catches her off guard with a surprise kiss. Too bad that new boy is Becca's boyfriend, Alec.
Camille and Becca have never met, but their lives will unravel and intertwine in surprising ways as they deal with what happens after the kiss.

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Part verse, part narrative, After the Kiss is about heartaches and love gone wrong after two lives are painfully intertwined with a single kiss. 

Innocents and lust do not mix; young love and true love are not the same. Camille’s life may seem to hover in serenity but in reality she dreams of escape. She makes a bunch of new friends, pokes around bookstores and coffee shops. Even volunteers at a local animal shelter–it distracts her from the things she left behind. As she desperately tries to burying herself in the now and not the past, Camille creates a weekly routine in her new of Atlanta, Georgia. Then she sees a boy who truly makes her forget...and remember. 

For Becca life is good as long as Alec is there. When a sudden car wreck causes Becca’s everyday life to change, it sets off a chain of events. That is why Alec was the the party...alone. 

It’s amazing how one little thing in one tiny moment can change several lives to the point where nothing will ever be the same again. After the Kiss a wonderful but heart-wrenching story of a misunderstanding and how easily a relationship can be destroyed, especially if its not true at all. I like how McVoy portrayed the two very different girls: Becca is fighting for love. She’s reckless and determined. Camille is fighting to get away from it and has a careful yet head-strong appeal. When the two girls are united by a boy who doesn’t understand how deeply they feel and love, they spin into a world of hurt, realization, loss, and what it means to be truly in love. Teens can relate to both girls and their stances as well as being touched by the poetic words and inspiration of their grieving voices.

An agonizing narrative that will leave you hanging on every verse, After the Kiss wonderfully animates that sometimes love is worth fighting for and other times, it is not.

Recommendation: Lovely contemporary novel of, well love, both true and reckless. Breath-taking finish–definitely a story you won’t forget. I’m looking forward to reading McVoy other books. Recommend to ages 14+

Content: Sensuality, some language, and underage drinking (PG)

Other Books by This Author: Pure, The Summer of Firsts and Lasts

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|Pages: 400|Release Date: May 2010|Publisher: Simon Pulse|

|Genre: Contemporary fiction, teen issues, romance, relationships|

|Content Rating: 4/5|Cover Rating: 4/5|Overall: 4/5|

Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson

When Jessa catches her boyfriend, Sean, making out with Natalie "the boob job" Stone three days before her drama club's departure to Italy, she completely freaks. Stuck with a front-row view of Sean and Natalie making out against the backdrop of a country that oozes romance, Jessa promises to follow all of the outrageous instructions in her best friend's care package and open her heart to new experiences. Enter cute Italian boy stage left. Jessa had prepared to play the role of humiliated ex-girlfriend, but with Carissa directing her life from afar it's finally time to take a shot at being a star.

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I thought Culbertson’s first novel Songs for a Teenage Nomad was a great story so I was anxious to read another book by her. Instructions for a Broken Heart however did not impress me as much...it was sort of ho-hum. There are tons of books with plots that deal with relationships, break-ups, and dating but if it doesn’t have some sort of unique aspect or characters that make the book different from the rest, it will more than likely won’t be a big hit. That’s exactly what it was for me. Because it really wasn’t anything super special, I honestly didn’t enjoy it like I did Nomad. Although I know break-ups can be a hard thing to handle, I just couldn’t connect with Jessa and her longing to get back together with her cheating boyfriend. She was way too juvenile about the whole thing and I didn’t care for the third-person dialogue in this particular case. A few of the characters did stand-out: Tyler was a cool and Dylan Thomas was an interesting British boy. Alas, the entire book focused on Sean and how Jessa’s best friend was making her “get-over” him so there was not very much room for anything else to happen. The part of the so-called Italian crush (mentioned in the synopsis) was...weird. He only appeared a few times and he didn’t have much effect on Jessa or the story.

Really wish Instructions for a Broken Heart was better. Even so I still like Culbertson and I will definitely read another book by her in the future.

Recommendation: Overall, Instructions for a Broken Heart was an ok-book, the message/story just wasn’t significant enough for me to really enjoy it. If you want to read a book by Culbertson, try reading Songs for a Teenage Nomad if you think this one isn’t your style. Ages 14+

Content: Some language and sensuality. (PG)

More Books by This Author: Songs for a Teenage Nomad

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|Pages: 292|Release Date: May 2011|Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire|

|Genre: Contemporary, relationships, teen issues, travel|

|Content Rating: 4/5|Cover: 5/5|Overall: 3/5|

This review is copyrighted by Books and Literature for Teens. Special thanks to Derry and Sourcebooks.

Sparrow Road by Sheila O'Connor

It's the summer before seventh grade, and twelve-year- old Raine O’Rourke's mother suddenly takes a job hours from home at mysterious Sparrow Road– a creepy, dilapidated mansion that houses an eccentric group of artists. As Raine tries to make sense of her new surroundings, she forges friendships with a cast of quirky characters including the outrageous and funky Josie.Together, Raine and Josie decide to solve the mysteries of Sparrow Road–from its haunting history as an orphanage to the secrets of its silent, brooding owner, Viktor. But it's an unexpected secret from Raine's own life that changes her forever. An affecting and beautifully written story of family and forgiveness,Sparrow Road is an incredible gift.

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Sparrow Road is a whimsically inspiring novel of discovery, family secrets, and forgiveness making it a strikingly wonderful work in middle grade fiction.

The story opens with a lot of mysterious things. When Raine is pulled from her comfortable life in Milwaukee, she suddenly finds herself at a summer country home for artists. Not only is twelve-year-old Raine not told why she is there, she must live among a very eccentric group of adults who retain a week of silence until Sundays; and of course there are many secrets hidden within the grounds of Sparrow Road.

The beginning of the story was very strong and though confusing, it made me want to keep reading. I felt the storyline slowed a bit toward the middle which may disinterest younger readers to a point, but it retained its  poetic and emotional narrative quite nicely. Nonetheless Sparrow Road is an splendid debut novel with a touching message and a setting so dreamy and vidid, you won’t want to leave.

Recommendation: Highly recommend! although the plot might seem to be somewhat juvenile for teenagers, the actual message and writing might appeal more to older readers rather than middle graders. Whatever age, it will be timeless to those who enjoy it.

Ages 12+

Content: references to alcoholism/drinking

|Pages: 247|Release Date: May 2011|Publisher: Putnam's Sons|

|Genre: Contemporary fiction, family, coming-of-age, relationships|

|Content Rating: 5/5|Cover: 5/5|Overall: 5/5|

This review is copyrighted© by Books and Literature for Teens. Special thank-you to Stacey!

Purple Daze by Sherry Shahan

Purple Daze is a young adult novel set in suburban Los Angeles in 1965. Six high school students share their experiences and feelings in interconnected free verse and traditional poems about war, feminism, riots, love, racism, rock 'n' roll, high school, and friendship.
Although there have been verse novels published recently, none explore the changing and volatile 1960's in America-- a time when young people drove a cultural and political revolution. With themes like the costs and casualties of war, the consequences of sex, and the complex relationships between teens, their peers, and their parents, this story is still as relevant today as it was 45 years ago.

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Purple Daze recounts the stories (based on real letters) of four teenagers on the brink of the Vietnam War and their last year of high school in the 1970s. While examining the current events of the time, the foursome face war, protest, a messy love triangle and the consequences of their mistakes as well as friendship. Eventually, the characters’s lives become as scattered as the world around them.

The most interesting thing about this book is the way it is written: a cross-between verse and prose. While the very short-style passages that are suppose to resemble the teenage mind is fun, the plot is not much more than blips of randomness. Understanding some of the dialogue or relationships between a few of the characters is a bit difficult because the passages were so quick and vague. Also, please be aware that there is a lot of talk of drugs, drinking, sexual references and content so this is not a good book for younger readers.

Purple Daze is a unique way of expressing life but I just didn’t like the plot nor the “focus” of some bits of the story. I did however, like the inspiration of one of the male characters (Phil). His character was based on a real guy the author knew in high school. She even dedicated the book to him: To Phillip Cole...because you waited.

Recommendation: Enjoyed the style but not the actual “story”. However I believe it was a good message about consequences and choices; not recommended for anyone younger than age 16.

Content: Language, drugs, alcohol, sexual content, descriptions of war (R)

|Pages: 197|Release Date: March 2011|Publisher: Running Press|

|Genre: Contemporary, historical fiction, war, love, friendship|

|Content Rating: 1/5|Cover Rating: 5/5|Overall: 2/5|

This Review is copyrighted© by Books and Literature for Teens. Special thanks to Nicole.

Crazy in Love by Dandi Daley MacKall

High school senior Mary Jane Ettermeyer has been the good girl for a long time. To date, she's proud to say she's been able to keep her pledge of abstinence (not that anyone has challenged it). But when the cutest guy in school starts flirting with her, she suddenly finds herself crazy in love, even though her inner Plain Jane tells her he can't possibly think she's cute, while her inner Sexy M. J. is questioning her vow to keep herself pure until marriage. Not to mention that hot Jackson House shouldn't even be talking to her, because he already has a girlfriend! There are a ton of good reasons why she should never speak to Jackson again, except that every time she sees him, all of her resistance seems to melt away...

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I loved MacKall’s Love Rules and because it was sush an awesome little love story, I decided to pick up another one of her books. Crazy in Love however was not anything like the other book and was very...shallow. It mainly consisted of a fluffy main character, who despite having somewhat decent intensions, went completely crazy! Well I guess that’s the whole point of the story but it could have had more depth to it instead of a “flingy” romance–if you could even call it that. M.J.’s good-girl/bad-girl dialogue was sometimes funny at first, after awhile it seemed silly. The story sort of followed classic hollywood-style “mean girl” approach: Mary Jane becomes “enemies” the most popular group of girls when she starts falling for Starr’s boyfriend. M.J’s friendship is challenged and I disliked how Jackson never stood up for his feelings for M.J. Besides the characters having developmental issues, the message behind the book is just a little bit bias. The semi-“main” conflict for M.J. was whether or not Jackson was worth loosing her virginity over. This of course is a common conflict in YA and a lot of them–like this one–tend to ride the fence. Crazy in Love however I think would confuse teens a little more mostly because it has a “conservative” feel to it: M.J. goes to church, she’s never really had a serious boyfriend, she wants to “wait”, ect.

Recommendation: Crazy in Love was not the best by MacKall and wasn’t anything super special. Try Love Rules instead–it’s a much better story.

Content: Some sexual references and sensuality (PG-13)–ages 14+
Buy or Borrow: Even though I bought Crazy in Love thinking I would enjoy it just as much as Love Rules, I definitely recommend borrowing it instead.

|Pages: 232|Released: 2007|Publisher: Dutton|

|Genre: Contemporary fiction, romance, relationships|

|Content Rating: 4/5|Cover Rating: 4/5|Overall: 3/5|

This review is copyright© by Books and Literature for Teens.

Songs for a Teenage Nomad by Kim Culbertson

After living in twelve places in eight years, Calle Smith finds herself in Andreas Bay, California, at the start of ninth grade. Another new home, another new school...Calle knows better than to put down roots. Her song journal keeps her moving to her own soundtrack, bouncing through a world best kept at a distance.Yet before she knows it, friends creep in-as does an unlikely boy with a secret. Calle is torn over what may be her first chance at love. With all that she's hiding and all that she wants, can she find something lasting beyond music? And will she ever discover why she and her mother have been running in the first place?

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Songs for a Teenage Nomad is a artistic story of music and life as our heroine makes an unlikely difference in the lives of her new found friends and discovers the secret behind her mother’s nomadic ways.

The greatest–and most important–aspect in this novel is the numerous mentioning of songs and artists. While not entirely unique, it helps greatly with connecting to the feelings of the characters. From Bob Dylan to Coldplay, Calle recounts her story from past memories to present circumstances and brings a voice through a teenager’s best friend, music. The book is very poetic, yet edgy in a way that makes the characters shine through the sometimes gloomy events that come to pass. Treading in self-discovery themes, Culberston hits two birds with one stone as she depicts relationships and love in both the high school setting and, at home. Teens will enjoy Songs for a Teenage Nomad because of its simplicity and its whimsical melodic setting of the small, sea-side town. Culbertson is definitely a author to keep an eye on.

Recommendation: Highly recommendable to teen ages 12+.

Content: Some dramatic elements and a few bad words; PG

The Last Straw: A quote from pg. 130:

I hear music under the crash of waves before I see any place that could be producing it. Soon, though, hovering in the distant dark appears a ripple of neon, a sign that becomes legible only when I am standing directly in front of it: Lucky's.

|Pages: 240|Published: Sept. 2010|Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire|

|Genre: Contemporary fiction, relationships, family drama, friends, romance|

|Content: PG|Age Group: YA, ages 12+|Price: pbk. $9.99|

|Enjoyed It: 4/5|Content Rating: 4/5|Cover: 5/5|

|Overall: 4/5|

Out With the In Crowd by Stephanie Morrill

WARNING!: This is a review of a book within a series and contains spoilers! Please read my review of Me, Just Different, Book 1 in this series.
Skylar Hoyt may have vowed to change her partying ways, but it's not so easy to change her friends. Even though the old Skylar is gone, she's still not sure who this new Skylar really is. Add to that two parents battling for her loyalty, a younger sister struggling with a crisis pregnancy, and a new boyfriend wishing for more of her time, and Skylar feels like she can't win. After all, how do you choose favorites among people you love most?

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Skylar is back and ready to tackle the school halls but is she truly ready for the trials ahead? In Me, Just Different, the first book in the Reinventions of Skylar Hoyt series, Sky decides she no longer wants to be known as the school's party-harty girl. Instead, Sky slips from the "it" crowd and makes changes in her life. Meanwhile, her younger sister is about to go through some changes all her own. In this book, Sky is faced not only with her sister's pregnancy, the constant reminders of her "old" self, but the choice between love or duty.

Teen pregnancy plays a big part in this book and goes into detail about how the girls deal with their consequences. Another great teen-pleaser voiced in Out With the In Crowd is relationships: boys, friends, enemies. During the book, Sky is faced with backstabbing friends and a boyfriend stealer. Stephanie does a fantastic job of setting Sky in real-life circumstances and getting results that any teen girl could relate to. Although The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt might be–in some places–categorized under "religious fiction" there is absolutely no preachiness or anything that some might find offensive to read. In short, I'd recommend to anyone without hesitation. 

I think Stephanie's books are a great alternative for fans or non-fans of "it" girl novels. Instead of reading something about a party-girl, you get to see someone fight against it... to realize there is something more than hanging with the "it" crowd.

Recommendation: I believe I enjoyed reading this second installation to the series even better than the first. Great read for teen girls ages 14+. (Don't forget to read Me, Just Different first!)

Content: Some kisses and intensive family drama. (PG) 14 and up because topics are a little heavy for younger readers.

The Last Straw: Randome passage, pg. 129.

He pressed a kiss onto my hand as a smile crept into his face. "Sorry girl. You can't get rid of me so easy."

|Pages: 249|Publisher: Revell|Published: Jan. 2010|Price: Soft. $11.99|

|Genre: Contemporary fiction, romance, high school, family drama, relationships|

|Age Group: YA, ages 14+|Content: PG|
|Series? Yes, The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt|Order: Book 2|

|Enjoyed It: 5/5|Content: 4/5|Cover: 4/5|

|Overall: 5/5|

Thanks for sending this Stephanie!

This review is copyrighted ©2010 by Books and Literature for Teens.