Anna remembers a time before boys, when she was little and everything made sense. When she and her mom were a family, just the two of them against the world. But now her mom is gone most of the time, chasing the next marriage, bringing home the next stepfather. Anna is left on her own—until she discovers that she can make boys her family. From Desmond to Joey, Todd to Sam, Anna learns that if you give boys what they want, you can get what you need. But the price is high—the other kids make fun of her; the girls call her a slut. Anna’s new friend, Toy, seems to have found a way around the loneliness, but Toy has her own secrets that even Anna can’t know.

Then comes Sam. When Anna actually meets a boy who is more than just useful, whose family eats dinner together, laughs, and tells stories, the truth about love becomes clear. And she finally learns how it feels to have something to lose—and something to offer. Real, shocking, uplifting, and stunningly lyrical, Uses for Boys is a story of breaking down and growing up.

Uses for Boys is not at all what I expected. It’s dark. Very dark. But real. Sad, haunting, humanizing. Uses for Boys provides a look into the world we generally try to pretend doesn’t exist because it hurts too much to imagine people going through these lives on a daily basis. Anna is a broken individual. She lets boys use her over and over again, all the while telling herself it’s for love. She learned this pattern from her often-absent mother, who reenters Anna’s life every couple of months in a feeble attempt at parenting, before gracelessly bowing out.

This book is not about relationships. It’s not about love. It’s not even really about boys or their uses and in that way, I find both the title and synopsis a bit misleading. Yes, all those elements are in the story, but the real story is Anna’s; her growth, her fall, and her attempt to scrape her back from rock-bottom. There isn’t really a happy ending. There’s just her emotional journey and a final glimpse at hope.

My favorite aspect of Uses for Boys is the writing. Scheidt’s writing is so, so powerful and lyrical. The pages fly by. The words seem to sing. I think Scheidt chose the best possible method to tell this story. The writing both captures Anna’s voice and lends a sense of beauty to every heart-wrenching scene. I will definitely read another book by Scheidt just to return to this writing style.

However, while I appreciated the novel’s beauty and cared about Anna and her journey, I found a lot of the novel lacking. While Anna’s emotional journey is engaging, her everyday life is so completely dull. I’d be happy to accept this contrast, except after seeing how strong Anna is, I have a tough time believing she just simply lets all these things happen to her rather than try to live her life for so many chapters. Toward the end, she starts actually doing more, but I expected that sort of behavior from her throughout the novel.

In addition, I feel there’s a significant lack of character development. Toy is the most important female influence in Anna’s life but, given a surprising reveal at the story’s end, we come to find out we actually know nothing about her. Her character doesn’t lend much to the book or Ana’s life, which is quite a disappointment as I feel Scheidt could have used her so much more. And then, we’re left without closure. I know the final scene is supposed to seem uplifting, but without a conclusion for Toy, I can’t help feeling unsatisfied. The same can be said for Jane and Anna’s mother. Though both play significant roles in Anna’s life and mean a lot to her, we never really receive an ending for them, either.

We do get more of a sense of closure-or at least the promise of happiness-for Sam and Anna. But again, this is almost unsatisfying as I don’t think Sam is sufficiently characterized. How does he come to love Anna? We skip over a majority of the beginning of their relationship, which is actually a very pivotal time for Anna, a time I think we deserve to see. Their ending also reads as a bit rushed and forced, rather than completely intentional.

But maybe all that just adds up to asking for a happier ending, when happy endings aren’t necessarily indicative of real life. Things are often messy, important words left unsaid and stories left without conclusions. Perhaps the fact that I have so many questions proves that Scheidt did her job well. If I have questions, it’s because I care and want to know more about these characters and this world. And it’s true, the entire time I was reading, I was extremely invested in Anna’s life. I picked the book up and didn’t want to put it down until I finished. It’s a quick read, though it deals with heavy subjects (including numerous sex scenes, the topic of abortion, underage drinking, and drug use). But I think Scheidt handles her subject realistically and maturely. This is an engaging book and I think it’s important for girls to have a chance to see why our romantic relationships don’t define us; we need to take care of ourselves before even thinking about taking care of another person. No matter what, your happiness always comes first, and that important message is realized within the pages of Uses for Boys.

Pages: 240
Publication Date: January 2013
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Source: NetGalley
Rating :

Teaser Quote: “Sometimes kids come into the cafe after school and sometimes I’m invisible to them. I want someone to ask me why I’m there. Why I’m not in school. I want someone to recognize that I’m a kid just like they are. And then Sam does.“

Love—good and bad—forces three teens’ worlds to tilt in a riveting novel from New York Times bestselling author Ellen Hopkins.

Three teens, three stories—all interconnected through their parents’ family relationships. As the adults pull away, caught up in their own dilemmas, the lives of the teens begin to tilt….

Mikayla, almost eighteen, is over-the-top in love with Dylan, who loves her back jealously. But what happens to that love when Mikayla gets pregnant the summer before their senior year—and decides to keep the baby?

Shane turns sixteen that same summer and falls hard in love with his first boyfriend, Alex, who happens to be HIV positive. Shane has lived for four years with his little sister’s impending death. Can he accept Alex’s love, knowing that his life, too, will be shortened?

Harley is fourteen—a good girl searching for new experiences, especially love from an older boy. She never expects to hurdle toward self-destructive extremes in order to define who she is and who she wants to be.

Love, in all its forms, has crucial consequences in this standalone novel.

 

Mikayla: A girl head over heels in love with her boyfriend, Dylan. A love of weed, boos and parties. A family that’s tearing apart at the seams. An unwanted pregnancy that will change her life forever.

Shane: Out of the close. In love with a boy named Alex, who just happens to have HIV. A drunk father who looks upon him with disgust. A little sister heading toward death. A mother with almost no hope.

Harley: A fourteen year old who sees nothing but fat when she looks in the mirror. Divorced parents, one heading toward a new marriage. A desperate search to find out who she is. Drugs. Boos. Sex. False Love.

Shelby: A four-year-old who is regarded as a person with no sense of life. Confined to tube feeding forever. Hovering on the brink of death, she just wants her family to be happy.

Alex: HIV positive. In love with Shane. Catholic Private school. On his way to an Ivy League.

 

All of these characters, among many more, play a major role in Tilt by Ellen Hopkins. A novel of poetry, rape, love, depression, homosexuality, HIV, drugs, sex, teen pregnancy, mental illness, death, and self discovery. Join Mikayla, Shane, Harley and the rest of the people that surround their lives in this realistic, contemporary piece that Hopkins has built.

 

I have never been a fan of poetry or even contemporary books, if I want to be honest. I’ve never seemed to understand poetry or appreciate the realistic theme of contemporary books. Sometimes life just sucks, and, for the most part, I don’t want to read about it. I like to submerge myself into the unrealistic. The werewolves, vampires, witches, and other things that go bump in the night take me away from the realities of the world. It’s a chance to escape and put myself into a whole other universe. While Tilt, by Ellen Hopkins, was as real as it can possibly get, I found myself devouring it. I would sit down and read hundreds of pages at a time, lost in the depression that shaped the character’s lives. I was hooked plain and simple.

It took my awhile to get attached to Tilt, because I had to adjust to Hopkins unique writing style. I’ve never read a book by Hopkins before, so it caught me a little off guard that the entire book was poetry. It wasn’t difficult to read, though. Unlike the poetry that we’re forced to read in school, Tilt was an actual story with beautiful form and breathtaking words. It was also a very fast read. Most books fill up their pages with words, while Tilt had a brief section of words on each page.

Some of the topics that Tilt introduced were really easy to read, while others were really hard for me to get through. I loved the topic of teen pregnancy. I am so addicted to movies and books that discuss teen pregnancy because they are so real. Teen pregnancy is a major thing that goes on in today’s society. When I was a junior in high school, there were three senior girls who were almost to term with their pregnancy. Today, most of the girl’s from my very first high school are either pregnant, married, or both. I’m not kidding when I use the word “most.” Honestly, I don’t know a girl at my first high school who doesn’t have a kid or a husband. I thought that Hopkins beautifully portrayed how teen pregnancy truly is. She didn’t sugar coat it or make everything turn out okay. She was realistic with how things work in real life.

I did have a problem when it came to Harley’s story, probably because I related to her the most. I had a big issue watching a fourteen-year-old girl suffer through weight problems, deal with a dirtbag father, have divorced parents, and look toward other’s for love. The beginning of Harley’s story wasn’t too intense, but by the time I made it to the last quarter of the book, I found it very difficult to read the pages dedicated to her. It wasn’t because the writing was bad. Actually, the writing was beautiful. However, I had big issues with some of the topics that came up in this story.

Ellen Hopkins did such a great job of portraying the love between Shane and his boyfriend. This is a very controversial topic for some people, but I was in love with it from the moment I read the synopsis. Gay love and homosexuality in general need to be more explored in young adult books, because it is a real life topic. Being gay does not make someone unequal or unimportant. I really enjoyed watching the growth of of Shane’s dad. He was really against Shane ever since he came out of the closet. He would preach to Shane and tell him what an abomination he was, and that really effected me. Shane, while a fictional character, reminded me of people I’ve met in similar situations. To me, Shane was a real person with his own issues and emotions. To me, he was no less than a straight person, and I loved him from the get go.

I had a bit of a problem with understanding who was who and who was related to whom. Everyone seemed to know eachother, and I was pretty lost throughout most of the book on how people knew eachother. It wasn’t a big deal, but I found myself kind of giving up on that aspect of the book.

The only thing that I really questioned in this book, besides who knew who, was how realistic it was that an entire branch of family was so messed up. I would have preferred that none of the characters knew each other, and that we were witnessing people from all over the United States. I only say this because I have a large branch of family, and I know other people who do as well. I’m not saying that this can never happen to one family, but from my perspective, I’ve witnessed it usually being one family and the rest of their family stays out of it. However, I did enjoy how real and true Hopkins stayed to her story lines. She didn’t cut around the edges or add something fake in to draw in her readers. She told it how it was, and I really appreciated that.

I do have to warn people that the topics of rape and mental abuse are included in this story. Most of the guys, especially the teenage boys, in this story really offended and disgusted me. It is never okay for someone to pressure you into sex or to request favors that you are not interested in. It is never okay for someone to give you ultimatums or to make you feel obligated to do something you don’t want to do. It is never ok for your partner to pull guilt trips or to constantly make you feel bad or worthless just to get their way. These are all forms of abuse, and if you’re experiencing them, then you need to contact an adult or the police. Please keep in mind that it doesn’t matter if you’re married or not. Abuse is abuse and rape is rape. Never put up with it. I want you all to know that you can always contact me about these things going on in your life, and I will keep it between us unless you officially tell me you’re a minor. You can go through our contact info on the tabs above and specifically request to speak to me. I will not judge you, but I am always here to talk to. You can also contact me via our twitter page.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was beautiful and realistic, and it moved me in more ways than I can express. To me, the ending was a little unfinished. I would really like to see what happens with the rest of their lives and how they work through their struggles. Everyone needs to go buy or borrow this book immediately, as it is a must read.

 

Pages: 604

Publication Date: September 11th, 2012

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Rating: :

 

Teaser Quote: “And if candor
strikes to forcefully,
step back, draw careful
breath, and consider the angle
your words must take
before you open
your mouth, let them leak
out. Because once you tilt the truth,
it becomes a lie.”

SHHHH! Don’t spread the word! Three-day weekend. House party. White Rock House on Henry Island. You do NOT want to miss it.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

Best Friends, Meg and Minnie, have been invited to the party of a life time out on Henry Island. Meg, the writer, would rather be at home chilling out, but, instead, she’s dragged to this party because of her hyper-active-slightly insane best friend, Minnie. Once they arrive, though, the find out that the host and her friends have not yet made it to the party, and they won’t arrive until the next day. Instead, It’s just them and eight other kids alone in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately, one of them happens to be a killer.

 

I’d first like to start out by telling you all that I am a HUGE wimp. I’m so bad of a wimp that I screamed in the middle of the theaters during Disturbia, couldn’t finish The Ring, and won’t go anywhere near a Stephen King novel. Pathetic, I know, but at least I can admit it. So when I picked up Ten, by Gretchen McNeil, I was like….welllllll….it’s a young adult book, right? It won’t scare me! I can handle this! I was also really excited to be able to figure out the killer, because I’m good at that. I usually always guess the secret twists and the killers in tv shows and movies. I could only figure that I would guess the whole surprising twist in this book. Ha. Not so much.

I picked up Ten because everyone told me it was amazing. Not only that, but NOBODY could guess who the killer was. So, I was curious. When it first started, it was a little hard for me to get into. I wouldn’t say that it was slow, because it wasn’t. I just couldn’t STAND Minnie. Ohmygod….I wanted to off her myself just to shut her up. Once all the kids got together, though, and watched the super spooky dvd, things really started to pick up and I was hooked.

One thing that I absolutely loved was how unique and individual all of the characters were. They all had their own personalities, and I loved that. I especially loved Meg. Not only was she such an inviting character, but I loved watching her try and decipher all of the clues and really try and take charge. I also really liked T.J., but, hey, who doesn’t love a hunky guy?

Now, here comes the part where you’ll laugh. This book scared the living shit out of me. I mean, it got so bad that one night, after reading Ten for about four hours, I had to go and read a whole other book for thirty minutes just to be able to fall asleep. I hid under the covers, my heartbeat went crazy…..I was a wreck. Hey, I told you guys I was wimp, didn’t I?

I really did think that I would be able to guess the killer. I was wrong. I mean, I wasn’t even close to the ballpark! I was sooooo off base. I really thought I had it, too. I had three main suspects (not naming any names), and not one of them was even involved in it. Well…..for the most part. You’ll understand after you read the book. The twist that McNeil weaved was soo ridiculously amazing that my brain is still whirling from it. All I could say after I finished the book was “ohmy god, ohmygod, ohmygod. Did that REALLY just happen?!” I would be SHOCKED if anyone could guess the killer, let alone the twist, so I challenge every single one of you to read this book!

In the end, I really don’t know what to compare this book to. I don’t read horror, killerish books, so I’m stumped. What I CAN say, though, is that Ten is an absolute MUST READ. Every single one of you needs to guy buy it or borrow it. And don’t forget to come back here and tell me if you guessed the killer! But remember. Don’t. Leave. Spoilers. In. The. Comments. Otherwise, you might be next [;

 

Pages: 294

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: September 18, 2012

Rating: :

 

Teaser Quote: “Minnie jutted out her chin, “So what if I did?”

“Did what?” T.J. asked.

Meg exploded. “YOU READ MY DIARY???”

“Oh, shit,” Kumiko whispered.