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Fiction | Page 405 | LitPick Book Reviews
Fiction
Hanging In The Stars
Hanging In The Stars
Andrew, a skinny ninth grader, is determined to kick his own butt into shape. At home he is dominated by an ambitious, no nonsense single mother. She is focused on her daughter Ally, a scholar athlete in soccer, who is competing to get into an Ivy League college. Andrew longs to break away from his mother's constant micromanagement of his life. During a workout in the gym, Andrew seizes an opportunity to toughen up when he accepts an offer from Cruz, a muscular drug dealing biker. Cruz offers to help Andrew get in shape if he will tutor Maya, Cruz's thirteen year old sister. When Andrew and Maya meet in the park to work on a Romeo and Juliet assignment, they are drawn to each other. He is attracted to the spontaneous, sexy, dark eyed beauty while she is infatuated by Andrew's intelligence and his cute, unassuming goodness. To find themselves and hold on to each other, Andrew and Maya must struggle to survive in a violent world with contrasting cultures. "This is a tremendously powerful book, filled with action, memorable characters, heartbreaking conflict and feeling". Cindy Trumbore, author of The Mangrove Tree and The Genie in the Book

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Gilbert and Louis Rule the Universe: First Impressions
Gilbert and Louis Rule the Universe: First Impressions
Gilbert and Louis Rule the Universe: First Impressions, a contemporary version of Jane Austen’s "Pride and Prejudice," chronicles the adventures of two best friends as they navigate the world of seventh grade. The story follows two thirteen year-old girls as they deal with friendship, love, embarrassing relatives and, ultimately, find out that first impressions aren’t always what they seem. Gilbert and Louis deals with that delicate time when girls are coming of age, figuring out what they want out of life, and forming the basis of who they are going to become. Gilbert and Louis Rule the Universe is a middle-grade chick-lit book geared towards middle schoolers, precocious elementary school students, and any adult who wants to take a trip down memory lane.

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Faelorehn: Otherworld Trilogy (Book One)
Faelorehn: Otherworld Trilogy (Book One)
Top Choice
I never heard him come after me and even as I climbed the slope and stumbled onto our shaded back lawn, I didn’t look back. It was like the day the gnomes chased me all over again, but this time I was not escaping some horrible little creatures, I was fleeing from an incredibly good-looking guy who could very well understand me completely. I was either saving myself from that serial killer I always imagined lived down in the swamp, or I had finally gone over the deep end . . . Meghan Elam has been strange her entire life: her eyes have this odd habit of changing color and she sees and hears things no one else does. When the visions and voices in her head start to get worse, she is convinced that her parents will want to drag her off to another psychiatrist. That is, until the mysterious Cade MacRoich shows up out of nowhere with an explanation of his own. Cade brings her news of another realm where goblins and gnomes are the norm, a place where whispering spirits exist in the very earth, and a world where Meghan just might find the answers she has always sought.

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Eyeballs Growing All Over Me ...Again
eyeballs growing all over me...again
A man comes home to discover a Bigfoot-like creature watching his tv, a giant robot pays a visit to a couple, a new kid has some unusual toys to share, an inventor creates a gorgeous robot in order to meet women,  a girl becomes so ill she has her head replaced with a goat head, someone wakes to discover little eyes growing all over his body, small, hairy creatures come looking to retrieve an object they had misplaced, and a boy finds an unusual pair of sunglasses in the weeds. These are the whimsical, surreal adventures of Tony Rauch. "Absurd, surreal, playful, dream-like, whimsical, and a lot of fun to read. Tony Rauch has been one of my favorite short story writers for a long time. Like Richard Brautigan, he's an uncompromising artistic visionary with one heck of an imagination." - CARLTON MELLICK III, author of The Egg Man"Tony Rauch's storys are comical, absurd, bittersweet, and simply a joy to read. Highly recommended." - CAMERON PIERCE, author of The Pickled Apocalypse of Pancake Island

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El Porto Summer
El Porto Summer
Brett Sloan is out of school for summer vacation. The California teenager envisions spending his time surfing, babe-watching and taking it easy. Girls look sexier every day but Brett won't fall in love. Girls are too hard to figure out and probably would control his life. But, when he finds himself on the bad side of a bad dude, and falling for a shy, pretty girl, life hits him like an enormous wave. The physical and emotional thrashing will test him like never before. Watch out Brett. Summer vacation may not be what you expect.

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Dismal Thoughts
Dismal Thoughts
A young girl named Dot romanticizes her unique state of despair. Through a series of humorous, melodramatic events, Dot sets on a quest to finally and officially be declared "clinically depressed." If you are looking for flowers and sunshine, you've come to the wrong place. If you are squeamish, frail, or susceptible to uncontrollable cheeriness, put this book down right now and walk away! This book is about doom and gloom and perpetual despair. It is about the dismal thoughts of a hopelessly depressed young girl and her quest to finally be declared "clinical." Monsters and demons and an endless abyss are what await you here. If, however, you accept the fact that the world is forlorn and desolate, you may have just found yourself a soul mate. Approach with caution. Be sure to have lots of chocolate chip ice cream on hand, as well as 14 boxes of tissues and the name of a good psychiatrist. Whatever you do, absolutely do NOT read this book unless you are clinically depressed. You were warned.

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Keeper of the Lost Cities
Keeper of the Lost City
Shannon Messenger
A New York Times bestselling series A USA TODAY bestselling series A California Young Reader Medal–winning series In this riveting debut, a telepathic girl must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new world—before the wrong person finds the answer first.Twelve-year-old Sophie has never quite fit into her life. She’s skipped multiple grades and doesn’t really connect with the older kids at school, but she’s not comfortable with her family, either. And Sophie has a secret—she’s a Telepath, someone who can read minds. But the day Sophie meets Fitz, a mysterious (and adorable) boy, she learns she’s not alone. He’s a Telepath too, and it turns out the reason she has never felt at home is that, well…she isn’t. Fitz opens Sophie’s eyes to a shocking truth, and almost instantly she is forced to leave behind her family for a new life in a place that is vastly different from what she has ever known.     But Sophie still has secrets, and they’re buried deep in her memory for good reason: The answers are dangerous and in high-demand. What is her true identity, and why was she hidden among humans? The truth could mean life or death—and time is running out.

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Coco Butta Kids: Crossin' Paths
Coco Butta Kids: Crossin' Paths
The first book in the Coco Butta Kids series, Crossin' Paths is a refreshing look at the issues confronting today's teenagers. Set in Xavier High School, Crossin' Paths examines the growing pains of a set of classmates from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Intended to provide young adults of color with characters they can relate to on a personal level, the series and its protagonists also aim to prove that no matter what you look like, where your parents are from or what clothes you wear, being a teenager is tough.

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Island of Doom: Hunchback Assignments 4 (The Hunchback Assignments)
Island of Doom: The Hunchback Assignments 4
Arthur Slade
After previous assignments in London, the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, and the Australian rain forest, this final adventure in the Hunchback Assignments series finds our hero, shape-shifting, masked spy Modo, on his most personal quest. Along with fellow spy Octavia Milkweed, they search for Modo's biological parents. But when the Clockwork Guild find Modo's parents first, Octavia and Modo chase them across Europe and North America to the Island of Doom. Joined by memorable characters from the first three books--some lovable, and some who are terrifying and evil--Modo and Octavia dash towards a thrilling conclusion.

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Beyond: A Ghost Story
Beyond: A Ghost Story
Graham McNamee
Jane is not your typical teen. She and her best friend Lexi call themselves the Creep Sisters. Only Lexi knows why Jane is different from anyone else: Her own shadow seems to pull her into near-fatal accidents. Jane is determined to find out why these terrifying things happen, and to overcome her shadow enemy. Her sleuthing with Lexi connects her own horrors to the secret history of a serial killer.

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