Zen and the Art of Faking It
by Jordan Sonnenblick
Published 2007 by Scholastic Press

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This book is a wonderfully comedic story about an adopted Chinese, Buddhist wannabe. San Lee is a gypsy like kid who moves from state to state due to his father’s run from the authorities. After San’s father is finally caught and sent to jail, San finally settles down in a small town in Pennsylvania. The book follows his path to Zen enlightenment; San takes on the identity of a Chinese Zen Buddhist and begins his quest to be truly unique. Jordon Sonnenblick’s witty phrases and comedic take on middle school life is just a breath of fresh air. While reading the book I didn’t hesitate to laugh out loud, Sonnenblick does a very good job story telling throughout the entire book. San Lee’s character also provides the reader with some mind provoking Buddhist life lessons, not only does this book entertain, it preaches about right and wrong in a very comedic way.  All in all I think that his book is a great read if you’re feeling down in the dumps, San Lee’s character and Sonnenblick’s comedy will surely keep you entertained.  

--Reviewed by Sneha

The Truth about Forever
by Sarah Dessen
Published 2004 by Viking Books

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Sarah Dessen, the author of The Truth about Forever, is an amazing author and one of my favorites.  I enjoyed reading this book, and I’m sure that fans of Sarah Dessen and the realistic fiction genre will too.  In the book The Truth about Forever, main character Macy Queen is learning to cope with her father’s death.  She and her boyfriend, Jason, had been going out for about two years, and when Jason breaks up with her, claiming Macy is not “in line with his goals,” Macy is more than a little shocked.  Jason had always been someone she could depend on, and he helped take her mind off her father.  Without Jason, Macy is one her own; until she meets some new, very different, people.  Macy realizes that with her new friends, she is the happiest she has been since her father passed away.  Her mother, however, who has her own way of dealing with the death, reacts negatively towards Macy’s new friends.  In this way, Macy must find a balance between being happy and pleasing others, while at the same time learning how to deal with the absence of her father.  Readers may not be able to relate to the main character, Macy, in the fact that her father is dead, but she also has problems that teens of all ages face in their everyday lives.

The book’s plot, although not necessarily original, keeps readers entertained throughout the story.  Sarah Dessen takes the idea of a parent’s death, which is incorporated into many books for teens, and puts her own spin on the story.  The plot is simple and easy-to-follow, and reluctant as well as avid readers alike will get caught up in the plot.  While reading the story, I got sucked into the lives of the characters—I would sometimes get very angry at Macy’s mother, and wonder how Macy could stand to live with her—or I would feel disappointed when Jason tells Macy that he feels they should take a break from each other.

Overall, the book was great.  It was fun and easy to read, and also interesting, as were the characters.  I would recommend this book to any teen, whether they enjoy reading or not, as well as any other book by Sarah Dessen.  Two thumbs up!

--Reviewed by Sarah M.

The Stones of Mourning Creek / Diane Les Becquets
by Diane Les Becquets
Published 2001 by Winslowhouse International

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As many teen readers may have noticed, not every book that readers pull off the shelves is perfect. Mediocre writing, characters that lack depth and believability, and unclear images or messages, can all bring down one’s rating of a novel. Even in a book with all these negative elements, readers might still get hooked on the book because of an interesting plot.

In The Stones of Mourning Creek, the shallow characters and the lack of clarity created a book I was sure I would never recommend. Yet, because of the fascinating plot, I could barely put the book down! This novel about a girl with an African-American friend, in times when racism dominated, can capture the attention of any teen reader, male or female. Also, the plot aptly uses the element of surprise; just when readers expect the novel to go one way, it will go the other! From a reader’s point of view, the author’s overall writing style, voice, and structure seemed to progress and grow as the book progressed, making The Stones of Mourning Creek much more interesting. Still, I believe that this book does not meet many teens’ standards. Overall, I found the plot and events of the book intriguing (though it did include one gruesome kitten scene); other elements of the book were not as strong.

I would recommend this novel to people who care more about plot than overall talent of a writer.

--Reviewed by Elizabeth

Wrinkle in Time
by Madeleine L'Engle
Published 1996 by Laurel-Leaf Books

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What would you do if an evil force on another planet captured your father? That is dilemma Meg Murry, an awkward teenager, is faced with.  A year after her father, a scientist, goes missing; the Murry house receives a strange visitor by the name of Mrs. Whatsit. While at first glance, Mrs. Whatsit looks like a homeless person, she later reveals that she is, in fact, a celestial creature and that Meg’s father is stuck on another planet called Camazotz. Meg, along with her brother, and a popular boy from school named Calvin, travel through a “wrinkle” in time, to the planet, in search of their father. However, along the way, Meg’s brother Charles is overpowered by IT – the evil spirit. Meg and Calvin, on the other hand, are saved in the nick of time by Mr. Murry, who helps them escape through another “wrinkle”.  But Meg realizes that she must travel back to Camazotz to save her brother. Mrs. Which, a friend of Mrs. Whatsit, tells Meg that she has one thing that IT does not have. Meg must discover this secret weapon in time to defeat IT and save her brother. 

 --Reviewed by Pooja.

Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Published 1999 by Farrar Straus Giroux

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One of the most horrifying events, rape can alter and even shatter victims’ lives. Often, victims are too afraid to speak out, fearing they will be punished because they “brought it on themselves”. The novel Speak covers the life of a girl after she is raped, and how she deals with the pain and anger she feels inside.

Immediately after Melinda is raped at a friend’s party, she calls the police. Since the party of underage teenagers involved drinking, the cops arrested many of her friends and colleagues, making her a social outcast at the beginning of the school year. Trying to pick up the pieces of her life and rebuild herself inside, Melinda can find no one to turn to for help. With vivid imagery and an amazing plot, this novel conveys Melinda’s situation with a depth and intensity not found in most books, creating a novel all teens must read. This book fills all of the expectations I had and more.

--Reviewed by Elizabeth