Killer’s Tears

 

The Killer’s Tears by Anne-Laure Bondoux

Killer’s Tear took me by surprise.  I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. This is a truly remarkable and emotional story about a young boy who ends up being raised by his parent’s murderer. I really don’t want to provide too much detail because this book is definitely worth reading.  I am looking forward to reading Ms. Bondoux’s other books in the very near future.

YA in crisis: Cut by Patricia McCormick

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prior to reading, I heard so many good things about this book, so I unfortunately decided to give it a try.   It wasn’t exciting  or interesing at all; boring plot–couldn’t relate.  Perhaps, I expected too much.  However, SOLD was terrific.

I really do like poetry…but not this one

Love: Selected Poems by e.e. cummings

I picked this book as a quick read.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t moved by the poems. The images dominated and the subject matter was boring.  I couldn’t maintain any interest in this book.  Rather than reading this book, I would suggest picking up anything by Ellen Hopkin (her stuff is more free-verse though), anything by Maya Angelou’s I Know Why A Cage Bird Sings, Nikki Grimes’ Bronx Masquerade or Jazmin’s Notebook, Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, anything by Robert Frost (he’s my favorite), Nikki Giovanni’s Love Poems (I first read her poems in junior high), Karen Hesse’s Out of Dust or Tupac Shakur’s The Rose that Grew From Concrete.

Tantalize, I think not…

Cynthia Leitich Smith’s Tantalize

It took me forever to finish reading Tantalize.  I do enjoy the stories about werewolves and vampires but not when they are redundant and uninspiring. Tantalize is a perfect example.   As my co-worker said, “It has all been done before.”  So frankly, it was rather boring and dry because it didn’t offer anything new.  In retrospect,  I expected too much because of the book cover and summary description.  Oh well.

Definitely, check out: Annette Klause’s Blood and Chocolate, Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series, Melissa De La Cruz’s Blue Blood series, Ellen Schreiber’s Vampire Kisses, and Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely (which I haven’t read yet but I am very excited about it because of what I’ve heard).

Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber – Raise your hands if you want to be a vampire!

I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed this humorous vampire tale.  The story is about a sixteen year old goth girl, Raven who is in love with Anne Rice’s vampire stories.  When her grade school teacher asked her what she wanted to be when she grows up, she replied, ‘a vampire’ which surprised her teacher.  Raven’s fascination with vampires grows stronger through the years.  Then, one day, she “bumps” into Mr. Right who she thinks is a vampire.  Is he? Well, you’ll have to read this funny, yet romantic vampire story to find out.

Inside Out by Terry Trueman — Outside In

If you’ve never read anything by Terry Trueman, I suggest you pick up any one of his many books.  He is a terrific writer.  Having read, Stuck in Neutral and Cruise Control, I wanted to read more of his writings.  Well, Inside Out is the story of sixteen year old Zach who has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. The story takes place inside a coffee shop.  The coffee shop  is being held up by two teenagers.  You see, Zach’s perceptions and feelings are skewed. While all of the hostages are panicking,  Zach isn’t.  All he wants is his favorite snack which is a candy bar. This crisis situation leads to some astonishing post-traumatic events.  Definitely, a worthwhile read.

Cormier’s The Rag and Bone Shop — A Mystery

Finally, a mystery novel that I can enjoy! Usually, I stay away from mysteries because I really dislike reading about the criminal element of life –and for me, mysteries always seem to revolve around this theme.  Anyway, Cormier’s Rag and Bone is a story of about a 13 year old suspected killer and a harden detective.  It is a psychological thriller and a quick read for reluctant readers.  I plan on reading more books written by Robert Cormier. 

Klause’s Blood and Chocolate…Tasty or Not?

I received a mixture of comments about this book.  Some people really liked it while others didn’t.  I liked it, well at least, parts of it.   Sixteen year old Vivian is a werewolf. She loves being a werewolf. She craves her transformations –and isn’t embarrassed by it.  The young males in her pack are all attracted to her but she doesn’t want any of them.  Still, grieving from the death of her father; she feels lost. She wants a normal life.  At school, she meets Aidan, a “meat  boy” who is attracted to her.  They begin dating even against the wishing of her pack.  She falls in love with him and wants to reveal that she is werewolf to him.  Does she?  He’s seems to be sweet but will he accept her true identity? Will her pack accept her relationship with a “meat boy”?  This book offers a different twist on what we know about werewolves.