Weekly Reads: The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried

The Past and Other Things that Should Stay Buried is just your standard teen zombie-esque book. Or something like that. I love Shaun David Hutchinson, so I will read anything he has written. And I will love anything that he's written. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. I received an e-ARC to review, but didn't have time to read it before it was published. And then when it was published my library took FOR-EV-ER to get it in. So then I finished it in like 3 days.

An amazing story of friendship, grief and loss, and all the good teen angsty drama and relationships intertwined. And Hutchinson always does a great job of including LBGTQIA characters in his stories, and this does not disappoint.

My rating: 5 stars.

Summary from goodreads:

A good friend will bury your body, a best friend will dig you back up.

Dino doesn’t mind spending time with the dead. His parents own a funeral home, and death is literally the family business. He’s just not used to them talking back. Until Dino’s ex-best friend July dies suddenly—and then comes back to life. Except not exactly. Somehow July is not quite alive, and not quite dead.

As Dino and July attempt to figure out what’s happening, they must also confront why and how their friendship ended so badly, and what they have left to understand about themselves, each other, and all those grand mysteries of life.

Weekly Reads: Sadie

Sadie is a book I had been hearing a lot of buzz about, so I was really excited to get a copy from my library. It's told in alternating perspectives, one from a podcast set in the present, and the other from Sadie, who the podcast is about. The book was incredibly fast-paced, disturbing as hell, and almost too intense to read as quickly as I devoured it. I would highly recommend this book!

My rating: 5 stars.

Summary from goodreads:

Sadie hasn't had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she's been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie's entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister's killer to justice and hits the road following a few meagre clues to find him.

When West McCray—a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America—overhears Sadie's story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie's journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it's too late. 

Weekly Reads: The Beauty that Remains

I adore the cover of this book. Not that I choose books by their covers, but if I did, I would choose this one. Plus I heard a lot of great things about it. I picked it up, and ugly cried through parts. It's the story of three teens dealing with the grief of losing three very important people in their lives--a twin, an ex-boyfriend, and a best friend. The way that each teen struggled and dealt with grief in completely different ways felt so real and raw to me. I loved it, in a heart breaking way.

My rating: 5 stars

Summary from goodreads:

Music brought Autumn, Shay, and Logan together. Death wants to tear them apart.

Autumn always knew exactly who she was—a talented artist and a loyal friend. Shay was defined by two things: her bond with her twin sister, Sasha, and her love of music. And Logan always turned to writing love songs when his love life was a little less than perfect.

But when tragedy strikes each of them, somehow music is no longer enough. Now Logan can’t stop watching vlogs of his dead ex-boyfriend. Shay is a music blogger struggling to keep it together. And Autumn sends messages that she knows can never be answered.

Despite the odds, one band's music will reunite them and prove that after grief, beauty thrives in the people left behind.

Weekly Reads: From Twinkle, With Love

From Twinkle, With Love is the newest book by Sandy Menon, author of When Dimple Met Rishi, which I looooooved. I was so excited for her newest book. I flew through this book and it was incredibly sweet. There were a few parts of the story that seemed a little unbelievable, or maybe uncharacteristic of the main character, and I had some issues with how neatly some things wrapped up, but I would still highly recommend it.

My rating: 4 stars

Summary from goodreads:

Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy—a.k.a. Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come true x 2.

When mystery man “N” begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it’s Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she’s fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil.

Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she’s got is not the one she’s scripted. But will it be enough?

Told through the letters Twinkle writes to her favorite female filmmakers, From Twinkle, with Love navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you.

Weekly Reads: Thunderhead

Thunderhead is the second book in Neal Shusterman's series Arc of the Scythe. I absolutely loved the first book, and was super excited to get my hands on this one. This one moved a little bit slower than I would've liked, but the end was so thrilling that I can't wait to get my hands on the next one, and seriously don't want to wait.

My rating: 4 stars

Summary from goodreads:

Rowan and Citra take opposite stances on the morality of the Scythedom, putting them at odds, in the second novel of the chilling New York Times bestselling series from Neal Shusterman, author of the Unwind dystology.

Rowan has gone rogue, and has taken it upon himself to put the Scythedom through a trial by fire. Literally. In the year since Winter Conclave, he has gone off-grid, and has been striking out against corrupt scythes—not only in MidMerica, but across the entire continent. He is a dark folk hero now—“Scythe Lucifer”—a vigilante taking down corrupt scythes in flames.

Citra, now a junior scythe under Scythe Curie, sees the corruption and wants to help change it from the inside out, but is thwarted at every turn, and threatened by the “new order” scythes. Realizing she cannot do this alone—or even with the help of Scythe Curie and Faraday, she does the unthinkable, and risks being “deadish” so she can communicate with the Thunderhead—the only being on earth wise enough to solve the dire problems of a perfect world. But will it help solve those problems, or simply watch as perfection goes into decline?

Weekly Reads: Warcross

Warcross is the newest book by Marie Lu. I was excited to get my hands on it. I think fans of her previous books will really enjoy this one and it's an excellent read alike if you enjoyed Ready Player One. Check it out and let me know what you think!

My rating: 3.5 stars

Summary from goodreads:

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

Weekly Reads: They Both Die at the End

I absolutely love love love Adam Silvera. He always writes the most amazing teen books, full of romance and sadness and strong LGBTQ characters. He may be in my top 5 favorite teen authors. The premise of the book is perfection. The execution was a little bit slow for me. Or maybe I just took it slow because I knew "They both die at the end" and I wasn't ready for that to happen? I don't know. It's a good read, but not my favorite by the author.

My rating: 4 stars

Summary from goodreads:

Adam Silvera reminds us that there’s no life without death and no love without loss in this devastating yet uplifting story about two people whose lives change over the course of one unforgettable day.

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.

Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day. 

Weekly Reads: Release

I have had Release on my TBR pile for over a year. In fact I think I had an ARC of the title, and just never got around to reading it, which stinks because I really enjoy Patrick Ness' books. This is another book that I wanted to make my way through before the Printz Award was announced in early February. I was reading a book every 2 to 3 days to try to get all the ones done I wanted.  I enjoyed this book, but it wasn't my favorite Patrick Ness book. There were two different storylines throughout the book that melded together at the end, but it still felt somewhat disjointed. I was really invested in Adam's story, and didn't care much for the additional storyline that wove through it. Still a worthwhile read.

My rating: 3.5 stars

Summary from goodreads:

Inspired by Mrs Dalloway and Judy Blume's Forever, Release is one day in the life of Adam Thorn, 17. It's a big day. Things go wrong. It's intense, and all the while, weirdness approaches...

Adam Thorn is having what will turn out to be the most unsettling, difficult day of his life, with relationships fracturing, a harrowing incident at work, and a showdown between this gay teen and his preacher father that changes everything. It's a day of confrontation, running, sex, love, heartbreak, and maybe, just maybe, hope. He won't come out of it unchanged. And all the while, lurking at the edges of the story, something extraordinary and unsettling is on a collision course.

Weekly Reads: Eliza and Her Monsters

Eliza and Her Monsters is a book that came up on my radar as a possible Printz Award contender. As soon as I heard it compared to Fangirl and Carry On I was in. And then it took me decades to get a copy from the library. Insert eye roll emoji here. 

I loved this book so much.

It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a book so much that I found myself picking it up when I knew I only had ten minutes to read. Guys, this is really saying something. I couldn't put it down. I loved it so much, and if you pick it up and read it, I'll almost guarantee you'll love it too. Sadly, I don't think it'll win a Printz award, but I hope to hell I'm wrong. I will be arguing very strongly for it to be included in our South Dakota teen book award for high school students.

My rating: 5 stars

Summary from goodreads:

Her story is a phenomenon. Her life is a disaster.

In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, she’s LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves the online one, and she has no desire to try.

Then Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea’s biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school. Wallace thinks Eliza is just another fan, and as he draws her out of her shell, she begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile.

But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.

Weekly Reads: Once and For All

Once and for All is the newest book by Sarah Dessen. Sarah Dessen typically writes really sweet teen books, and I love recommending them to teens at my library. I was excited for the newest one. This one took a little longer to get into than normal, but once I was in, I was IN. It was a really sweet read.

My rating: 4 stars

Summary from Goodreads:

As bubbly as champagne and delectable as wedding cake, Once and for All, Sarah Dessen's thirteenth novel, is set in the world of wedding planning, where crises are routine. 

Louna, daughter of famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, has seen every sort of wedding: on the beach, at historic mansions, in fancy hotels and clubs. Perhaps that's why she's cynical about happily-ever-after endings, especially since her own first love ended tragically. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm's length. But Ambrose isn't about to be discouraged, now that he's met the one girl he really wants. 

Sarah Dessen’s many, many fans will adore her latest, a richly satisfying, enormously entertaining story that has everything—humor, romance, and an ending both happy and imperfect, just like life itself.

Weekly Reads: Goodbye Days

Goodbye Days is the newest book by Jeff Zentner. It's a perfect bundle of the heartbreak of losing friends, the grief that you make your way through in a time of loss and so much more. I had to stop reading this on my lunch break at work because I was crying so much. So good.

My rating: 5 stars

Summary from Goodreads:

What if you could spend one last day with someone you lost?

One day Carver Briggs had it all—three best friends, a supportive family, and a reputation as a talented writer at his high school, Nashville Academy for the Arts.

The next day he lost it all when he sent a simple text to his friend Mars, right before Mars, Eli, and Blake were killed in a car crash.

Now Carver can’t stop blaming himself for the accident, and he’s not the only one. Eli’s twin sister is trying to freeze him out of school with her death-ray stare. And Mars’s father, a powerful judge, is pressuring the district attorney to open a criminal investigation into Carver’s actions.

Luckily, Carver has some unexpected allies: Eli’s girlfriend, the only person to stand by him at school; Dr. Mendez, his new therapist; and Blake’s grandmother, who asks Carver to spend a Goodbye Day with her to share their memories and say a proper goodbye to his friend.

Soon the other families are asking for a Goodbye Day with Carver, but he’s unsure of their motives. Will they all be able to make peace with their losses, or will these Goodbye Days bring Carver one step closer to a complete breakdown or—even worse—prison?

Weekly Reads: Genuine Fraud

Genuine Fraud is the newest book by e. Lockhart. I was counting down the days for this book to come out. I love her books! There are always twists and turns and a big reveal that makes you want to immediately restart the book and read it from start to finish. I finally had the chance to read it non-stop on Thursday and despite knowing I was going to wake up in the 4s for the coffee run, I committed to finishing it! And... I was let down. I still love her, and love her writing, but maybe my expectations were too high?

My rating: 3.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads:

The story of a young woman whose diabolical smarts are her ticket into a charmed life. But how many times can someone reinvent themselves? You be the judge.

Imogen is a runaway heiress, an orphan, a cook, and a cheat.
Jule is a fighter, a social chameleon, and an athlete. 
An intense friendship. A disappearance. A murder, or maybe two. 
A bad romance, or maybe three.
Blunt objects, disguises, blood, and chocolate. The American dream, superheroes, spies, and villains. 
A girl who refuses to give people what they want from her.
A girl who refuses to be the person she once was.

Weekly Reads: The Unlikelies

The Unlikelies is a teen book that came out earlier this summer that I kept hearing/reading about in all sorts of book publications. I loved the cover, so I put it on hold. I expected it to be a lighter, fluffier read based on the delicious looking covers, but guess what, WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO JUDGE BOOKS BY THEIR COVERS, REMEMBER?! So this one was not a light and fluffy read, but it was still one I flew through and could not put down. Definitely check it out.

My rating: 4 stars.

Summary from Goodreads:

One good deed will change everything.

Sadie is not excited for the summer before her senior year. It will be her first without her college-bound best friend and (now ex-)boyfriend by her side, so Sadie braces herself for a long, lonely, and boring season working at a farm stand in the Hamptons. But things take an unexpected turn when Sadie steps in to help rescue a baby in peril and footage of her impromptu good deed goes viral.

As she’s recovering from “the incident” and adjusting to her Internet fame, Sadie receives an invitation to a lunch honoring teem homegrown heroes. The five honorees instantly connect and soon decide to spend their time together righting local wrongs. Sadie and her new friends embark on escalating acts of vigilante Good Samaritanism, but might be in over her heads when they try to help a heroin-addicted friend. Are good intentions enough to hold unlikely friendships—and an even unlikelier new romance—together? 

Weekly Reads: The Female of the Species

The Female of the Speciesis one of the last books I read leading up to the Printz award. It had stayed off of my radar until a month out to the awards so I had to scramble to read it. It was INTENSE. Holy cow. Total Dexter vibes, and I loooooved me some Dexter. I don't know if it'll walk away with any awards (this'll probably post after the awards, so maybe I'll edit to include if I was wrong....maybe) but it is an intense gritty read that teens with devour. (It was fairly graphic with some depictions of rape culture, so if that's a trigger for you, read with caution.)

My rating: 4.5 stars

Summary from goodreads:

Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn’t feel bad about it. When her older sister, Anna, was murdered three years ago and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best. The language of violence.

While her crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people, even in her small hometown. She relegates herself to the shadows, a girl who goes unseen in plain sight, unremarkable in the high school hallways.

But Jack Fisher sees her. He’s the guy all other guys want to be: the star athlete gunning for valedictorian with the prom queen on his arm. Guilt over the role he played the night Anna’s body was discovered hasn’t let him forget Alex over the years, and now her green eyes amid a constellation of freckles have his attention. He doesn’t want to only see Alex Craft; he wants to know her.

So does Peekay, the preacher’s kid, a girl whose identity is entangled with her dad’s job, though that does not stop her from knowing the taste of beer or missing the touch of her ex-boyfriend. When Peekay and Alex start working together at the animal shelter, a friendship forms and Alex’s protective nature extends to more than just the dogs and cats they care for.

Circumstances bring Alex, Jack, and Peekay together as their senior year unfolds. While partying one night, Alex’s darker nature breaks out, setting the teens on a collision course that will change their lives forever.

Weekly Reads: Dumplin'

Dumplin'is the first book by Julie Murphy that I have read, and I was counting down the minutes to get my hands on it. It has popped up over and over again and must read lists. It did not disappoint. It is an excellent young adult read about body image, body issues, typical teenage friendship issues, dealing with death, and a beauty pageant. Basically a recipe for awesomeness, right? Right.

My rating: 5 stars

Summary from goodreads:

Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked…until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine—Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart.