The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

I Just started reading this book and I am totally LOVING it! I think the plot is one the most intriguing parts to me. I mean, how many times do you read a book where the narrator is in heaven describing her own murder? I was actually a bit hesitant at first about reading this book because the person that requested it said that apart from the odd plot, some parts of the book could be a bit eerie, too. But, so far I am really happy I picked up the book. Most of all, I am enjoying the narrative voice in this novel because the fourteen year old girl telling the story gives the story a relaxed tone. Also, since I am also a fourteen year old girl, it is interesting and relatable to get inside the head of a girl my age. This book can actually be a bit frustrating to read because although Susie Salmon (the girl who was murdered) knows her killer and she is telling the story of her family and friends on Earth, who are trying to figure out the mystery. In this way, I am actually reminded a bit of The Memory Keeper's Daughter because in that book too, I read about a women who had no idea that she had a child who was alive and leading a completely different life. I guess this dramatic irony can get annoying, but it also contributes to how good the book is in the end when all the characters find out the great mystery. I'm really looking froward to the book unwinding!

The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares

I first picked up this book because a few years ago I read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series and absolutely enjoyed the writing style and the fun-loving plot. This book was no exception to the high standards I have for Ann Brashares and I appreciate her writing once again because this is a more mature plot. The main characters in this book complement each others personalities. I actually was able to relate to two of the main characters, who are sisters. Riley, who is a tomboy and a lifeguard, reminds me exactly of myself when I was younger because swimming was my favorite sport and I was usually the only girl in a group of boys. But this past summer when I read this book, my favorite character was Alice because she is a gentle, sensitive and sometimes timid character, which also reminds me of some qualities that I have now. Both sisters, now their twenties, have qualities that work at their advantages and disadvantages but through out the book they always fall back on each other for help. This was a beautiful book that included light enjoyable topics such as finding love and also some deeper problems, like a serious illness that is hidden as a deep secret. And although it sounds cliche, the ending really showed that life is too short to waste time hiding feelings or keeping secrets from those who you love.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

I LOVED THIS BOOK! From the start, suspense is established as the main character makes a life altering decision. This shocking turning point was a total grabber for me since unpredictability is what keeps me reading. When delivering his twin babies, Dr. David Henry discovers one of his children has Down syndrome. He decides irrationally to send this child to an institution withought his wife's knowledge. However his nurse, Caroline, takes baby Phoebe and moves far away with her. As the book progresses and years pass, I enjoyed reading about the life struggles and yet all the happiness of Caroline Gill, who raised Phoebe. At times this book was almost frustrating to read because in one somber chapter, the story of depressed and lonely Norah Henry is told (the doctor's wife) and in the next one I would dig deep into Phoebe's life, in which Norah is deceived into thinking she is dead. The bitter-sweet ending ties the lives of Norah, Caroline, Pheobe, and her twin brother all together however at the end I was still thinking about what happened after the pages stopped and how the past would affect their future together as a reconnected family.