Tag Archives: Realistic Fiction

I Was Here

i was hereCody is devastated by the recent loss of her best friend Meg.  Meg committed a well thought out suicide, alone in a motel room, by drinking industrial strength cleaner.  Cody continuously wonders how she did not know that her best friend was depressed to the point of ending her own life.  They were closer than sisters; they shared everything with each other.  Except, obviously, the fact that Meg was unhappy and at her breaking point.

After the funeral and memorial services, Cody goes to Meg’s college town to pack up all of her stuff.  While there, Cody discovers that there is a lot that Meg never shared with her.  Cody was astonished by Meg’s roommates and a boy named Ben McAllister.  While going through Megs things, she becomes completely obsessed with an encrypted file that she finds on Meg’s computer.  She knows that this file holds the answers to what was wrong with Meg and, suddenly, she is not so sure that Meg killed herself.

I Was Here was an extremely sad read, but thought provoking and enlightening at the same time.  Along with many other recent titles, it deals with mental disorders and depression.  Although it is a sad book, it is also enthralling, eye opening, and will have you hooked the moment you begin reading.

All the Bright Places

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is a remarkable book that ATBPdeals with the issue of suicide and mental illness in a surprisingly funny and very relatable way . The main characters, Finch and Violet meet at the beginning of the book at the top of their school’s bell tower where they are both considering jumping.  Finch talks Violet down off the ledge and they begin a beautiful relationship.

Violet has recently suffered the death of her sister just the year before.  She is still having a hard time coping with the loss and adjusting to life without her sister.  Finch is a little odd and is often called “Freak” by his classmates. Finch suffers from a mental disorder and is a bit erratic.  He is constantly avoiding the “sleep” that sometimes takes over.  In this sweet story, Finch is the only person who can bring Violet back from the depression that his invaded her life.   This a compelling novel that would be a great read for fans of John Green.

 

Favorites From the Past

selection series
The Selection Series

This is, by far, one of my absolute favorite series.  The latest book in the series, The One, came out last May.  I read it over the summer and, as with all of the books, I read it in about 2 days.  They each hook you from the beginning and you can’t put them down!

The dystopian novels follow America Singer’s whirlwind romance through the selection process that only 35 girls are chosen to be apart of.  It is the chance of a life time for these girls to escape the life that is otherwise inevitable and be swept away into a world of gowns, jewels, a palace, and a chance to win the heart of Prince Maxon.  America begins the selection with no intentions of falling in love because she has already met her soul mate, Aspen.  She is only entering because her family desperately needs the money that comes along with her spot in the selection. Everything begins to change the moment she meets the gorgeous Maxon and she catches a glimpse of a future that she never imagined.

If you are a fan of Divergent, Matched, or Delirium,  you will LOVE this enchanting series! Even better, The Heir, the fourth novel in the series is set to release on May 5th!

Ten by Gretchen McNeil

tenIf you are a fan of thriller/suspense novels, Ten by Gretchen McNeil is a must read! This novel was inspired by Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.  This novel will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

Ten teens head to an exclusive house party on Henry Island.  They are expecting a weekend of fun and luxury, but after the discovery of a DVD that displays the message “Vengeance is mine”, things begin to spin out of control.  A mysterious killer begins taking out the teens, one by one.  With a storm raging, there is no way off the island and no means of contact with the outside world.  No one knows who can be trusted, and they all begin to turn on each other.  Can Meg find the killer before more people die?

Ten is a must read for even the most reluctant reader.  You will not be able to put this one down!

 

 

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

One of the most recommended reads of 2014, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is addictive.  I think the description and reviews say it best:

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

“Haunting, sophisticated . . . a novel so twisty and well-told that it will appeal to older readers as well as to adolescents.”–Wall Street Journal

“A rich, stunning summer mystery with a sharp twist that will leave you dying to talk about the book with a pal or ten.”–Parade.com

“Thrilling, beautiful, and blisteringly smart, We Were Liars is utterly unforgettable.” – John Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars