How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

From Goodreads:
Jill MacSweeney just wishes everything could go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she’s been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends—everyone who wants to support her. And when her mom decides to adopt a baby, it feels like she’s somehow trying to replace a lost family member with a new one.

Mandy Kalinowski understands what it’s like to grow up unwanted—to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, one thing she’s sure of is that she wants a better life for her baby. It’s harder to be sure of herself. Will she ever find someone to care for her, too?

As their worlds change around them, Jill and Mandy must learn to both let go and hold on, and that nothing is as easy—or as difficult—as it seems.

From Misty:
I always appreciate a book that is intelligently written, poses a question, and has a point or a moral. The writing in How to Save a Life is thoughtful and tight; there are not a lot of words that are unnecessary. The story is thought-provoking (you ask yourself what would I do if I were in Jill's situation, her mom's situation, or Mandy's?)  And there are mulitple themes from which to choose your moral. Judging others, adoption, troubled teens, falling in love, breaking up, dealing with death and bereavement. Take your pick. The answer all three women are looking for is simple, but does not come across as too simplistic for the tone of the rest of the novel.

A basically clean read I would definitely recommend.

Rumors of War (Children of the Promise Series Vol. 1)

Inside Cover:
"The elders could see nothing but smoke until they turned the corner onto the street where the fire was. And then, both of them stopped. "The synagogue!" Elder Thomas said. It had never occurred to him that anyone- even the Nazis- would do such a thing.

 Elder Thomas got his camera out. He snapped the shot but then heard someone say, in German, "What are you doing there?"

 He tucked the camera inside his coat, under his arm. He tried to appear natural, but his heart was suddenly beating hard. A man was crossing the narrow street and coming t oward them.

 "Making pictures?" the man asked as he walked closer. Elder Thomas took a better look. He was what he feared: the black uniform with silver trim, the braided hat. Gestapo.

  Elder Alex Thomas wants only to teach the gospel to the people of Germany. But it soon becomes obvious that he will never complete his mission. War is coming, and that will affect not only Elder Thomas but also his family back home in Salt Lake City.

 In the family is Wally, Elder Thomas's younger brother, who usually just wants to have a good time but lately doesn't seem to care much about anything. There's his sister Bobbi, who is supposed to marry Phil Clark, the most eligible bachelor in the Salt Lake Valley. The problem is, she can't ignore her attraction to Dr. Stinson, a University of Utah professor who's not a member of the Church. And there are Elder Thomas's parents, D. Alexander Thomas, stake president, and his wife, Bea, who want their children to be true to the values and ideals they've taught them. But President and Sister Thomas are finding they can't just tell their children what to do anymore, and they're wrried about what will happen when the United States enters a war that no one seems able to stop.

 In Rumors of War, the first of the series Children of the Promise, author Dean Hughes recreates the eara of World War II in stunning detail. But more than that, he shows how the war affects an ordinary family of Latter-day Saints. If you're interested in Church or world history, or if you're simply looking for a powerful LDS novel, you won't want to miss Rumors of War."

Jennifer's Review:

First off I want to say, YAY! My computer seems to be working right and I can again put up some reviews!

With that being said, I cannot say enough about how much I love this book. What an eye opener to the people at this time. I can honestly say I have a new love and respect for those who went through World War II. I enjoyed that this is a pretty much normal LDS family. (Not everyone has a stake president for a father.) There are quarrels so you know it is pretty darn true to life!

The chapters are mostly split up and about different members of the family and what they are going through. I sometimes don't like this approach because there are one or two specific characters I am interested in and none of the others. However, this book makes each character interesting and complete, making me excited for each and every chapter.

Dean Hughes is a great writer. Not one of his books has disappointed me so far. Keep up the great work!

I give Rumors of War five stars! 

And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

From gifted new writer Tasha Alexander comes a stunning novel of historical suspense set in Victorian England, meticulously researched and with a twisty plot that involves stolen antiquities, betrayal, and murder. For Emily, accepting the proposal of Philip, the Viscount Ashton, was an easy way to escape her overbearing mother, who was set on a grand society match. So when Emily's dashing husband died on safari soon after their wedding, she felt little grief. After all, she barely knew him. Now, nearly two years later, she discovers that Philip was a far different man from the one she had married so cavalierly. His journals reveal him to have been a gentleman scholar and antiquities collector who, to her surprise, was deeply in love with his wife. 

Emily becomes fascinated with this new image of her dead husband and she immerses herself in all things ancient and begins to study Greek. Emily's intellectual pursuits and her desire to learn more about Philip take her to the quiet corridors of the British Museum, one of her husband's favorite places. There, amid priceless ancient statues, she uncovers a dark, dangerous secret involving stolen artifacts from the Greco-Roman galleries. And to complicate matters, she's juggling two very prominent and wealthy suitors, one of whose intentions may go beyond the marrying kind. As she sets out to solve the crime, her search leads to more surprises about Philip and causes her to question the role in Victorian society to which she, as a woman, is relegated.

Jillian’s Review:

This novel kept me turning the page, but unfortunately it was predictable and fizzled out in the end. The characters were interesting but I really didn't care what happened to any of them and there was barley any romance.

I don’t quite get the title. Maybe it’s because everything was so predictable for me, but I didn’t feel like Emily was deceived a whole lot if she’d just opened her eyes and used her brain.

Still, it was a fairly enjoyable, quick read.

<----- I don't have a star rating for this genera of books!

Watched by Cindy M. Hogan

Watched by Cindy M. Hogan

Goodreads Synopsis:

It takes more than a school trip to Washington, D.C. to change fifteen-year-old Christy's life. It takes murder.A witness to the brutal slaying of a Senator's aide, Christy finds herself watched not only by the killers and the FBI, but also by two hot boys.She discovers that if she can't help the FBI, who want to protect her, it will cost her and her new friends their lives.

Christina's Guest Review:

I will admit I got this book as a free gift ebook for buying another book. I thought I wouldn't enjoy it. I don't usually like suspenseful books. I started it and couldn't put it down. There are some gruesome parts and details. When the synopsis says brutal slaying, it really is brutal. I think that other books that are similar to Cindy Hogan's would be worse though. She tones it down so you don't have terrible images stuck in your head.

I read it straight through and when I was done I went looking for more. Luckily she had written a sequel so I got to continue reading! The book has two boys that like one girl like so many other books out there lately! It seems like every girl out there in fiction land has to decide between two boys! So different from most reality.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

I realize it's not Wednesday, but because Wednesday was a holiday (Happy Independence Day!) and Friday's post isn't up yet, and I just finished the book this morning (it was a long book!) I thought I would post my review today.

I am in love with this book.  (I know, I saw that just about every time I review a book...I guess I only review books that I like!)  But this one has a special place in my heart and I'm not sure exactly why.  It could be because Cornelia Funke has created a wonderful world of interesting characters and places.  It really could, because she has done an amazing job of making her characters lifelike and engaging. It could be because who hasn't ever become lost in a book and wanted more than anything for that book to come alive - to live in the story.  I've read many stories over the years that I've longed to get lost in!  But I think it's actually her writing, as much as the story, that I'm in love with.  Her words roll around like a piece of the sweetest chocolate dissolving slowly on my tongue.  They are mesmerizing.



I love this quote from Meggie's father, Mo.  "If you take a book with you on a journey, an odd thing happens: The book begins collecting your memories.  And forever after  you have only to open that book to be back where you first read it.  It will all come into your mind with the very first words: the sights you saw in the place, what it smelled like, the ice cream you ate while you were reading it...yes, books are like flypaper - memories cling to the printed page better than anything else."  Or this one, "Every book should begin with attractive endpapers.  Preferably in a dark color: dark red or dark blue, depending on the binding.  When you open the book it's like going to the theater.  First you see the curtain.  Then it's pulled aside and the show begins."  I love Mo!  And I love the way he loves his books.

There are so many, many things that I love about this book.  But you will just have to read it and experience the magic for yourselves!

(The suggested ages for this book are 4th-7th grade and it's a long one...534 wonderful pages!)

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

Jillian’s Review:

This was like reading a cross between the Hunger Games and The Host (after the first 100 pages). Fast-paced, action packed, with enough romance to keep me turning the page without blushing from too much detail.

I loved how each character grew, which is essential for a YA novel. The way the society was broken down was a bit unbelievable, like Delirium, but there’s so much going on that it wasn’t blasting me in the face the whole time.

Intelligently written. Can't wait for the next one in the series.

Probably best for older teen because of the violence, which was on the level as Hunger Games.

As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins

From Goodreads:In this new novel by a Newbery Medalist ("Criss Cross"), 16-year-old Ry completely redefines summer vacation. Illustrated with the author's line art and comics throughout.




From Misty:
Ry is off to summer camp. Wait, he's how old? (*cough* 16) But on the train he opens a letter from the camp that says camp is cancelled. He gets off the train to call home, but the train leaves without him. So he walks into town and Del takes him in and after a day of working at Del's tree cutting down business, Ry decides to let Del drive him across country to home. Wow. Ry, you're kind of an idiot. And even though Del is a nice guy, he has other reasons for driving Ry home which turns out to be his wife, What's her name.
Ry and his folks have bad luck after back luck, but Ry can't really grow because it's not bad choices he's making, not really, not in the sense of being a bad egg who needs reform...more like choices that turn out to be poor based on the circumstances. So it's all about circumstances and not about Ry at all. So then I have to ask myself who this book even about, because it's not about Del either. Ry is extraodinarily under-developed as a character--he really falls flat. Del is the one who has personality, character, integrity, intelligence, a bevy of interesting friends, and a history you wish you knew.I liked this book, but as there was no romance and nobody fell in love, it kinda didn't do it for me. The thing was, there was totally the possiblity of a great love story between Del and ...Whatever her name was that was barely touched on.
I suppose it wasn't touched on because that wasn't the point of the novel. But then I had to ask myself what the point was. ....*crickets--crickets*... Um...there wasn't one?  But the poem Del writes to his wife inspires the title of the book--and it's about falling in love,or maybe being in love, and it's pretty much one of the sweetest poems ever.

Try as I might, I can't escape your gravity.
My orbit is eliptical.
I fling myself far and think I'm free.
Who am I kidding?
Invisible forces and visible ones come into play.
A stranger comes to town.
Someone goes on a trip.
Leaving and staying away
is as easy as falling off the face of the earth.
But who would want to anyway?

So, okay book, but...confused. Less plot, more a series of unconnected and/or unbelievable events.