Alban used to be a peaceful land where magic was a regular part of life; magically gifted people, called "canny," protected the villages and took care of Alban's citizens. Now, the evil King Keldec has abolished the use of magic and forced the people to forget everything about old Alban, with its fairies and happy songs. Everyone lives in fear of King Keldec and his horrible army of "canny," which he has convinced to do bad instead of good.
Sethie, a high school senior living in New York City, has bones of stone, skin of glass, and hair of straw. When she tries to hurt herself, and breaks the skin, allowing blood to escape, she feels no pain. By starving herself and forcing her meals back out, Sethie hopes to lose weight from her 111 pounds. Sethie struggles to maintain her own self-goals that effects her appearance.
Chelsea Knot is a popular and talkative sophomore at her local high school. She loves to gossip and her penchant for spreading rumors has earned her the reputation of someone who can't be trusted. Under normal circumstances, Chelsea would relish this description. But when she tells a secret that ends in a physical assault, Chelsea's world comes crashing down. Hated by both the victim's friends and the perpetrators, Chelsea decides to take a vow of silence. Not talking is hard, but learning to forgive herself is even harder.
Reviewed by Flamingnet Student Book Reviewer SMill - Marianne Cotton is a straight A student. Her loving grandfather provides the constant support of a caring father figure while her bipolar mother flaunts around the country chasing her dream of becoming a successful artist. But when her grandfather dies of an unexpected stroke and her mother's marriage falls apart, Marianne finds her stunning academic career unraveling and her prosperous future darkening. Marianne meets an exotic street music performer, Miles, who introduces her to the lures of the lower east side.
This book was about a young girl named Shanna, who's father just moved out, due to an unhealthy marrige. Shanna is now left with her abusive mother. The only person she can look to for comfort is her best friend, Jonah. Jonah is trying to teach Shanna about being of light, banishing demons, and how to meditate. A friend of Shanna's, named Tammi, is cursed with a demon, and the demon has created an invisible cord, attached to Tammi, so she can drain Tammi's energy and transfer into the real world.
Daddy Long-Legs is kind of like a diary. It's about a girl who goes to an orphanage and then a mystery man, who she calls Daddy Long-Legs, paid for her to go to a college. The book is about her going to college and sending letters to Daddy Long-Legs. She sends letters about her days at school and other things that are happening. College is a whole new experience for her because she meets a few really good friends, she has to get used to something new, goes on her first visit to a farm, and she learns a lot of new things.
When Thomas Rose stops at the edge of the road because he sees a mysterious red handkerchief, he has no idea that his life is about to change. Formerly known as the slow and stupid one who lacks the brains for schoolwork and the patience to help his father at home, Thomas finds his whole world shaken apart when he meets the beautiful Helene, known as Ling. Ling tells Thomas magical tales of her life as a performer in France, and especially of her fantastic white horse, Belladonna, who was taken from her. She convinces Thomas to help her find her horse and return it to her.
This book was written for young girls who have grown up in households without fathers. The author is trying to give advice to girls like these on how to move on and grow to be stronger from a situation like this instead of succumbing to the statistics that girls without fathers will not live good lives. By sharing her own personal experiences, and the experiences of other girls, Aarica J. Black aims to show these girls that they are not alone.
