Please enable JavaScript
All Books | Page 146 | LitPick Book Reviews
All Books
North of Beautiful
Justina Chen Headley
Synopsis: As he continued to stare, I wanted to point to my cheek and remind him, But you were the one who wanted this, remember? You're the one who asked-and I repeat-Why not fix your face?

It's hard not to notice Terra Cooper.

She's tall, blond, and has an enviable body. But with one turn of her cheek, all people notice is her unmistakably "flawed" face. Terra secretly plans to leave her stifling small town in the Northwest and escape to an East Coast college, but gets pushed off-course by her controlling father. When an unexpected collision puts Terra directly in Jacob's path, the handsome but quirky Goth boy immediately challenges her assumptions about herself and her life, and she is forced in yet another direction. With her carefully laid plans disrupted, will Terra be able to find her true path?

Written in lively, artful prose, award-winning author Justina Chen Headley has woven together a powerful novel about a fractured family, falling in love, travel, and the meaning of true beauty.
Publication Date: 02/01/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Elijah's Coin
Steve O'Brien
Synopsis: Book of the Year, Fiction--Books and Authors Winner, Novella, Next Generation Indie Book Awards Winner, Fiction and Literature, Young Adult Fiction--National Best Books Awards Winner, Teen-Young Adult Fiction, Reader Views Literary Awards Silver Medalist, Men's Fiction, Living Now book Awards Silver Medalist, Audio and Spoken Word, Nautilus Book Awards Silver Medalist, Mid-Atlantic Best Regional Fiction, Independent Publisher Book Awards Finalist, Audio Book of the Year, ForeWord Magazine Finalist, Best New Fiction--National Indie Excellence Awards Steve O'Brien has crafted a new work of fiction that successfully negotiates the tricky balance between entertainment and instruction. Overtly didactic in some ways, Elijah's Coin is also a highly suspenseful story that introduces us to characters we come to care about. The content is edifying and thought-provoking, but the story never becomes dry. Elijah's Coin is the story of Tom, a young man who has suffered a tragic loss and is spiraling out of control. He's angry, anti-social, and rapidly descending into a life of crime. Then, during a night of folly, as he brazenly commits burglary, Tom encounters the night watchman Elijah King, a mysterious figure with a shrouded past. Elijah, unexpectedly, doesn't turn Tom in but instead becomes a stern and rather cryptic mentor to him. Rather than laying his lessons out in a straightforward manner, Elijah gives Tom an enigmatic coin and sends him on a mission of self-discovery. The remainder of Part One of the story chronicles Tom's quest to find three powerful, respected men - an entrepreneur, a courtroom lawyer, and a philanthropist whose lives were forever changed through their own encounters with Elijah. Each step of the journey enriches Tom's sense of the world and of the contributions an individual can make to it, so that through searching for others he ironically comes to know himself. Each meeting also provides a piece of the puzzle that is Elijah and his give-to-get philosophy. Nonetheless, Tom becomes increasingly desperate to find Elijah himself again. The few clues he pieces together ultimately disclose a shocking truth. In Part Two, Tom lives the message, learns to trust his own instincts and uniqueness, and becomes himself a mentor to other individuals on the verge of being lost. Each new, unexpected arrival, directed Tom's way by Elijah, presents its own difficulties. In dealing with these challenges, Tom is forced to discover resources within himself he had never suspected. A serious conflict between his new values and a thirst for vengeance arises, however, when Tom finds himself face-to-face with the darkest figure from his own past.... Author Steve O'Brien is an experienced litigator and international businessman who serves as General Counsel for a global consulting company. With Elijah's Coin, he turns his hand to fiction and draws upon his business and legal experience to create convincing scenes with corporate and courtroom settings. Engaging, thoughtful, and ultimately profound, Elijah's Coin is a rare example of a work of fiction that aspires to transform its readers. As the great German poet Rainer Maria Rilke once wrote: Du musst dein leben andern ( You must change your life ). Elijah's Coin poses the same challenge through a story about inner growth that will inspire readers everywhere.
Publication Date: 02/01/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Flygirl
Sherri L. Smith
Synopsis: Read Sherri L. Smith's posts on the Penguin Blog

Ida Mae Jones dreams of flight. Her daddy was a pilot and being black didn’t stop him from fulfilling his dreams. But her daddy’s gone now, and being a woman, and being black, are two strikes against her.

When America enters the war with Germany and Japan, the Army creates the WASP, the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots—and Ida suddenly sees a way to fly as well as do something significant to help her brother stationed in the Pacific. But even the WASP won’t accept her as a black woman, forcing Ida Mae to make a difficult choice of “passing,” of pretending to be white to be accepted into the program. Hiding one’s racial heritage, denying one’s family, denying one’s self is a heavy burden. And while Ida Mae chases her dream, she must also decide who it is she really wants to be.

Publication Date: 01/22/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Peace, Locomotion
Jacqueline Woodson
Synopsis:

 

Jacqueline Woodson is the 2018-2019 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature

Twelve-year-old Lonnie is finally feeling at home with his foster family. But because he’s living apart from his little sister, Lili, he decides it’s his job to be the “rememberer”— and write down everything that happens while they’re growing up. Lonnie’s musings are bittersweet; he’s happy that he and Lili have new families, but though his new family brings him joy, it also brings new worries. With a foster brother in the army, concepts like Peace have new meaning for Lonnie.

Told through letters from Lonnie to Lili, this thought-provoking companion to Jacqueline Woodson’s National Book Award finalist Locomotion tackles important issues in captivating, lyrical language. Lonnie’s reflections on family, loss, love and peace will strike a note with readers of all ages.

Publication Date: 01/22/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Doom Lake Holiday
Tom Henighan
Synopsis:

A mysterious white horse, a quirky parrot, a haunted house, an ancient curse, something frightening in the attic... A summer holiday turns into a nightmare when the Mallory family rents a shabby cottage in a remote corner of Ontario's Rideau Lakes. Seventeen-year-old Chip Mallory and his sixteen-year-old sister Lee are persuaded to go along on "one last family vacation" with their parents before they get caught up in their own lives again.

But when a great storm comes up, and the family moves to an island in the lake, all their technology can't save them from an encounter with an ancient curse. Chip and Lee are drawn into a complex web of past and present; they struggle to make sense of these ancient mysteries, aided by a visiting anthropologist, a poor backwoods girl, and a beautiful young woman who lives on an island with her reclusive and powerful grandfather.

Publication Date: 01/19/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Runner
Thomas Perry
Synopsis: Jane WhitefieldNew York Times best-selling writer Thomas Perry’s most popular characterreturns from retirement to the world of the runner, guiding fugitives out of danger.
After a nine-year absence, the fiercely resourceful Native American guide JaneWhitefield is back, in the latest superb thriller by award-winning author Thomas Perry.
For more than a decade, Jane pursued her unusual profession: I’m a guide . . . I show people how to go from places where somebody is trying to kill them to other places where nobody is.”Then she promised her husband she would never work again, and settled in to live a happy, quiet life as Jane McKinnon, the wife of a surgeon in Amherst, New York. But when a bomb goes off in the middle of a hospital fundraiser, Jane finds herself face to face with the cause of the explosion: a young pregnant girl who has been tracked across the country by a team of hired hunters.That night, regardless of what she wants or the vow she’s made to her husband, Jane must come back to transform one more victim into a runner. And her quest for safety sets in motion a mission that will be a rescue operationor a chance for revenge.
Runner is Thomas Perry at the top of his form.
Publication Date: 01/14/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows
Synopsis: summer is a time to grow

seeds
Polly has an idea that she can't stop thinking about, one that involves changing a few things about herself. She's setting her sights on a more glamorous life, but it's going to take all of her focus. At least that way she won't have to watch her friends moving so far ahead.

roots
Jo is spending the summer at her family's beach house, working as a busgirl and bonding with the older, cooler girls she'll see at high school come September. She didn't count on a brief fling with a cute boy changing her entire summer. Or feeling embarrassed by her middle school friends. And she didn't count on her family at all. . .

leaves
Ama is not an outdoorsy girl. She wanted to be at an academic camp, doing research in an air-conditioned library, earning A's. Instead her summer scholarship lands her on a wilderness trip full of flirting teenagers, blisters, impossible hiking trails, and a sad lack of hair products.
It is a new summer. And a new sisterhood. Come grow with them.
Publication Date: 01/13/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Return To Sender
Julia Alvarez
Synopsis: After Tyler's father is injured in a tractor accident, his family is forced to hire migrant Mexican workers to help save their Vermont farm from foreclosure. Tyler isn’t sure what to make of these workers. Are they undocumented? And what about the three daughters, particularly Mari, the oldest, who is proud of her Mexican heritage but also increasingly connected her American life. Her family lives in constant fear of being discovered by the authorities and sent back to the poverty they left behind in Mexico. Can Tyler and Mari find a way to be friends despite their differences?

In a novel full of hope, but no easy answers, Julia Alvarez weaves a beautiful and timely story that will stay with readers long after they finish it.
Publication Date: 01/13/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Sacrifice of Ericc
Anthony G. Wedgeworth
Synopsis: Thorik Dain takes a vow to save Ericc from being sacrificed to end a prophecy. However, in doing so he finds Ericc has revenge on his mind for the murder of his father. Thorik chases Ericc across Australis to prevent him from attacking his father's killer. The same man who is planning to Sacrifice Ericc once he comes out of hiding.
Publication Date: 01/09/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Just Another Judgement Day
Synopsis: Just another success from the New York Times bestselling author

God's own enforcer, the righteous engine of destruction known as the Walking Man, has come to the Nightside. His sole purpose is the elimination of the wicked and the guilty, which means no one will be left in the Nightside once he gets started. So the Authorities have hired P.I. John Taylor to stop him. Legend has it that he can't be killed. Taylor is very much hoping that the legend isn't true.
Publication Date: 01/06/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Lucky Chica
Berta Platas
Synopsis:

Rosie Caballero hates her nagging boss, her "ditch-me" dating history, her second-hand wardrobe and third-rate job--nothing is easy. She can't even afford to pay for her dog Tootie's food.

And then, Rosie wins the largest lottery jackpot ever: 600 million. Rosie can hardly believe her new life: she spends thousands on diamonds, makeup, clothes, and promises. Rosie parties like a celebrity―and even meets the hottest actor on the planet, Brad Merritt, who sweeps her off her feet and seems too good to be true. But he's not the only one in her dizzying world―former boyfriends, larcenous advisors, paparazzi all swarm around her, vying for her attention (and money).

In between shopping sprees and photo shoots, Rosie has to find out who she trusts―and what money can (and just can't) buy.

Publication Date: 01/06/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Natasha Lands Down Under
Katherine McCaughan
Synopsis: Gold Medal Winner of Young Adult -Historical/Cultural section of Moonbeam Children's Book Awards. Natasha's Russian family flees China in 1950 to start a new life in Sydney, Australia. Unable to speak English, Natasha longs for her old life in Shanghai. The problems of life under Japanese occupation and the following civil war seem tame compared to facing her new school with its inexplicable customs, different clothes and hairstyles. Having lost everything to communism, Natasha's family is now accused of being communist. The first turbulent year in Australia strains even strong willed Natasha's confidence, but a catastrophic event makes her realize her own strength and understand her place in her new life.
Publication Date: 01/05/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Carpe Corpus
Rachel Caine
Synopsis: Read Rachel Caine's posts on the Penguin Blog

In the small college town of Morganville, vampires and humans lived in (relative) peace-until all the rules got rewritten when the evil vampire Bishop arrived, looking for the lost book of vampire secrets. He's kept a death grip on the town ever since. Now an underground resistance is brewing, and in order to contain it, Bishop must go to even greater lengths. He vows to obliterate the town and all its inhabitants-the living and the undead. Claire Danvers and her friends are the only ones who stand in his way. But even if they defeat Bishop, will the vampires ever be content to go back to the old rules, after having such a taste of power?
Publication Date: 01/02/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Fade Out
Rachel Caine
Synopsis: Withoutthe evil vampire Bishop ruling over the town of Morganville,the resident vampires have made major concessions to the human population. With their newfound freedoms, Claire Danvers and her friends are almost starting to feel comfortable again…

Now Claire can actually concentrate on her studies, and her friend Eve joins the localtheatrecompany. But when one of Eve’s castmates goes missingafter starting work on a shortdocumentary, Eve suspects the worst. Claire and Eve soon realize that this film project, whose subjectis the vampires themselves, is a wholelot bigger—andway more dangerous—than anyone suspected.
Publication Date: 01/02/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Sweethearts
Sara Zarr
Synopsis: As children, Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick were both social outcasts. They were also one another's only friend. So when Cameron disappears without warning, Jennifer thinks she's lost the only person who will ever understand her. Now in high school, Jennifer has been transformed. Known as Jenna, she's popular, happy, and dating, everything "Jennifer" couldn't be---but she still can't shake the memory of her long-lost friend.

When Cameron suddenly reappears, they are both confronted with memories of their shared past and the drastically different paths their lives have taken.

From the National Book Award nominated author of Story of a Girl, Sweethearts is a story about the power of memory, the bond of friendship, and the quiet resilience of our childhood hearts.
Publication Date: 01/01/09
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Turning Tide
Cover Art, Diana Pharaoh Francis
Synopsis:
Publication Date: 07/18/25
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction

Pages



RECENT BOOK REVIEWS