by Melanie R., 11th grader
I strongly recommend The Preacher's Daughter by Beverly Lewis, and also the Heritage of Lancaster County trilogy. They're really good, and really sad at parts. At the ends of all three books of the Heritage of Lancaster County series, I was crying.
[you can find these titles in the library's adult fiction section]
by Melanie R., 11th grade
Rasputin’s Daughter, by Robert Alexander [adult fiction]
This book is sort of borderline teen/adult. But it wasn’t a difficult read at all, it’s just whether fellow teens would be interested in reading it. Everyone loves the story of Anastasia and this book showed a really different point of view of that time.
I saw the book in Barnes & Noble and I was like — “Rasputin had a daughter??” He’s always portrayed as an evil character but this book showed him in a new light.
by Melanie R., 11th grade
Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys, by Kate Brian [we don't own]
I was actually surprised that this book wasn't a traditional cliche teenage girl book. The ending was surprising and the book was cute, and it had a different plot than you normally see in a teen girl book.
from Monica, 11th grader
Private Peaceful, by Michael Morpurgo (YA Fiction)
Oh, I've been waiting to write about this one…This is an excellent book about a teenager's experience fighting at the front in World War I. But it is more than a war novel: much of it explores the life and family that the main characters, Tommy and Charlie Peaceful, left behind when they went off to war. The reader gets to know a lovable, mentally disabled brother, a courageous mother, and a girl who could be a sister — or a bride. There are enemies, too, far closer to home than the Germans in their trenches: the Colonel, who owns the family cottage and employs nearly everyone in the village, and "Grandma Wolf," a tyrant of a woman who is nevertheless family. The novel brings out the bonds between friends, between comrades, between brothers. There are so many good things to say about this novel, but let me come to the one that, amazingly, transcends them all: the ending is nothing short of incredible, in more ways than one. It is unpredictable and poignant, a horrifying but tremendously effective way of illuminating a great stain on world history. Of course, I will not give the ending away, and I will even warn that this review is subtly misleading. The point is, I don't have the space or the time to cover everything that I'd like to about this book. I have only to say that it is one of the best books I've read in a long time.
from Monica, 11th grader
Under the Wolf, Under the Dog, by Adam Rapp (YA Fiction)
Under the Wolf, Under the Dog chronicles the life of Steven Nugent and his decline from a star mathlete to a "Gray Grouper" in a mental institution (a person somewhere between drug addicted and suicidal). By detailing Steve's tragic experiences and his reactions to his grief, Rapp does two important things. First, he tells a good story — one that, by the way, offers a glimpse of hope at the end. Second, he essentially asks his readers, "What would you do if your life were like this?" He makes the reader understand Steve's plight and empathize with the characters. There is one thing, though, about this book that may bother some people. The writing attempts to reflect the thoughts and attitudes of a teenager, but it does so in a way very reminiscent of Catcher in the Rye. The style mirrors that classic — so much so that entire phrases can be found in common between the two books. It is almost as if Rapp couldn't quite make his writing his own but relied instead on authors that came before him. The elements that make this novel good, therefore, come from the plot, not the writing style.
from Monica, 11th grader:
Godless, by Pete Hautman
An interesting book that takes a unique approach to a teenager's rebellion against Catholicism. The characters are fairly well-developed and different enough from one another to make for good reading. My main objection to this book is that the action seems unrealistic. Teenage minds — or any mind, really — can wander to stranger places, but I find it unlikely that any teenager would decide to worship a water tower. Even if someone did have that idea, I don't really think they would 1. become obsessed or 2. climb the tower, open its hatch, and swim in the "godhead." A little too crazy. One last comment: the theme (questioning religion) is not fully developed. Personally, I was too caught up in the oddities of the plot to really think about the characters' challenge to traditional beliefs. For a subject as deep and intriguing as this, Hautman could have taken his novel further. He ends up falling short of his potential. Still, I suppose that this book would be good for a person seeking a fun read.
The Teen Book Board is a program of the Cheshire Public Library. Members help to choose books for the teen collection — and provide feedback on the books they’ve read. This blog features book reviews by members of the Teen Book Board, addressing every imaginable genre.
Enjoy the scintillating and provocative commentary on YA literature, and use the comment feature to add your own two cents!
Sarah,
Teen Librarian
Cheshire Public Library
Cheshire, CT
 | Lupita on Awakening |
 | jill on Avalon High |
| jill on The Harry Potter Series |
 | James on Neptune’s Children |
| Jill on Lock and Key |
