Young Adult Books

I am a young "Anglo-American" (white) girl living in a Texas/Mexican border town with a 98% hispanic community, and am on my way to learning the language fluently. I read this book in my Spanish class, and nearly died from the beauty of this book! It has helped me along with recognizing and comprehending Spanish along with leaving me a satisfied reader. Someday when I speak fluent Spanish, I will read this to my daughter and am sure it will be her favorite bed-time story. :-)

Seeing as though I couldn't get the real Marianela quickly, this one suited quite well, perhaps even better. I had to write a paper on it and the simplified language made mush easier to understand.

Pablo, a rich blind boy is madly in love with poor Marianela. Things go smooth until renowned Doctor Teodoro Golfín offers to cure up Pablo's eyes. Marianela, who thinks she is ugly is afraid that when he starts seeing, he'll see how ugly(on the surface) she really is. Her fears are confirmed when he falls for his beautiful cousin Florentina, who doesn't treat Marianela too well. She is so attached to Pablo that if she doesn't look beautiful for him, she won't be any use to him. A very destructive point of view which she sticks to. It's a tragic ending but it's common in most Spanish-language stories.

What is the actual implication of this fictitious work? Isn't there a serious, profound and truthful lessons in this love story so down-to-earth but yet so complex?

Marianela, a love story published in 1878 portrays a relationship between a blind man and his guide-- not beautiful a woman, whom he imagines attractive. Loving him she worries that once the man recovers his eyesight realizes she is not as pretty as he thinks her to be.

The author wisely crafts an interesting symbolism between the capacity to see, which is always spiritual and emotional, and on the other hand the human eyesight which can be inadequate, restrictive and misleading.

The implication that runs through the whole story is that adversity is a blessing in disguise, since blindness forces him to be humble enough to perceive the beauty she and others manifest. Once he recovers his eyesight and sees her for the first time with his human eyes, he rejects her.

Wasn't he in possession of real sight while blind than when he was able to recover his sight and to humanly see? Isn't Perez Galdos message, that the capacity to see and understand is mental, emotional and not necessarily physical?

Finally I can say this classic must be understood as a lesson on the spiritual superiority over the evidence presented by the human senses. This emotionally complex story has a symbolism, it will teach a lesson to whoever is receptive enough to its deeper meaning.

I must admit that this book didn't pick my interest when I started reading it in My Spanish AP class in high school. Now after reading it I have to say that this book is wonderfully written and very educational.
Marianela is a girl who lives in The Mines of Socartes, she is the guide of a rich boy who suffers fom blindness Pablo. I loved Marianela's character since the first pages, she is so full of life, so innocent. All her life she lived out of the pity of others but it didn't matter to her. Pablo "said" he loved her and she lived in this illusion where she thought that she would finally be loved and not criticized by her looks.
Then, everything changed when Teodoro Golfin, a miracle doctor gave Pablo his sight. That's when everything changed. When Pablo saw what Marianela really looked like, he just started treating her horribly. Where did all his love go? I have to say that by the end of the book I hated Pablo with a passion. How can someone be so cynical as to tell a person how beautiful she is without really seeing the exterior appearance and then being disgusted by what he sees when he looks at how that person really looks? Sadly that's what happens with Pablo and it would have been better if he had stay blind.
This book bring some things that are really important. True beauty is on the inside, never judge someone by their exterior appearace because you might be surprised. True beauty is not something that you can see or touch, beauty has to be felt.
I highly recomend this book, it will touch your heart I promise

The best book I've read since Deathly Hallows!
It's a great start to the series, but not much info about the outside world. Otherwise, it's amazing. Basil the wrathmonk shrinks Measle down to the size of a paperclip. By the time he's back to normal... well; you should read the book!

Throw in an ordinary boy named Measle, a completely insane dark wizard, a mysterious train set, 6 very small people, 1 very little brave dog, and a whole dump truck full of danger and you've got a wonderful adventure story with non-stop action and magic.

Out of all the books I've gone through, this is by far the best in all aspects of reading. If you don't believe me, read it yourself. =)))

My 1st grader thoroughly enjoyed this book being read to him, he found Measle's dog hilarious. We have just bought the next two, Measle and the Dragodon, Measle and the Mallockee.

Measle and the Dragodon is the sequel to the successful Measle and the Wrathmonk and the second in Ian Ogilvy's epic Measle series of book which chronicle the adventures of Measle Stubbs. These books are very entertaining as they are a bit like Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events but with magic. The second book is sort of an epic, quest type of story in which Measle is living with his doting parents in glam Merlin Manor when they are kidnapped by a gang of Wrathmonks [mad warlocks] who want revenge for the death of Measle's ex-guardian, Basil Tramplebone [he got what he deserved]. The Wrathmonks take Measle's parents to the Isle of Smiles, a sinister abandoned theme-park in the middle of the ocean. The Wrathmonks are being manipulated by a creature whose name isn't revealed but who is the last survivor of a powerful race of beings known as the Dragodons. Now Measle must go on a quest to the Isle of Smiles, into the catacombs and engage the Dragodon in an almighty battle with the fate of the world at stake.
A dramatic climax, a good villain, a convincing plot and rather disgusting [Roald Dahl disgusting, not vulgar disgusting]humour make Measle and the Dragodon an entertaining book to say the least. I'm currently on the third in the series, Measle and the Malockee.

I really really like this book and have read it several times. I hope other readers won't be intimidated by the creepy cover and title because trust me, if you read this you'll want your own copy. This book is really exciting and suspenseful.

Ever since my introduction to this webcomic two years ago, I have thoroughly enjoyed my weekly adventures into the world of Megatokyo and the misadventures of Piro and Largo, two American gamers stranded in Japan. (A circumstance that is entirely their own fault, I might add.)
Fred Gallagher and Dark Horse Comics combined to produce this wonderful print copy of Chapters 1 and 2 of the Megatokyo story, adding the highly amusing, if painful to see, SGD strips and a new section collecting the drawings of Piro and Largo's gameworld and an excellent short story based on that world. I hope to see more print editions of Megatokyo and maybe even a continuation of the Endgames story. Highly, highly recommended.

I must say, congrats to Fred for getting picked up by Dark Horse!

This is an amazing comic, been reading it now for... 2 years or so I think.. Keeps you coming back for more all the time.

As for book 2.. A much better quality than book one was by IronCat.. I have the IronCat book 1, but as soon as Dark Horse relases it, I'm getting that one as well.

This is a must read for everyone, this WILL become the staple must read for all manga fans, as much as Akira and Ghost In The Shell is for anime fans.

Can @nyone sp3ak l33t? L3t @lon3 underst@nd i7? I c@n kind@. I @bsolutely luv thi$ b00k. I s@y u @ll should read it at least 0nce!

The first book, in my opinion, is a necessity to every person who reads these types of books. But really, after Rodney Caston left, I've noticed the story's decline from the funny video game and computer jokes to a story running around Tokyo with a confusing romance-esque story. Sure, Fred wanted to go his own way, but I really felt it lost it's charm after that. Now the only thing Largo does is say "3V1L" and "L33t" in awkward places... then blows things up. Sounds cool, but really repetitive.

This installment of Megatokyo is a big improvement from volume one. The most noticeable change is the lack of notes at the bottom of each page. Those really slowed down the first book. The other improvements are character development and story complexity.

There is good news for Chobits fans. The PS2 accessory, Ping, takes on a bigger roll this time. Also Erika and Hayasaka are drawn so you can tell them apart.

Unfortunately, the stick figures from the first book are present in volume two, but it's only for two pages.

Volume two definitely has a high school feel to it, opposed to the PS2 feel of the first. I enjoyed seeing Largo teach English. It's good to have him doing something constructive. Although in the end, I was rooting for Piro.

Cooper's first two novels (Amnesia and Delirium) are amazing books and deal with very subtle corners of human mind; they left me nightmarish for days, and they are not terror novels, they are just extremely disturbing. I love them both: they are intelligent and strange and rich in every sense.

I ordered Milrose Munce as soon as I realized it was published, and was not dissapointed. It is written by the same witty and inteligent author, although in his playful side...and he certainly has one. If you want to check that out, look into his web page, dysmedia.com.

I'm extremely happy that this book exists, and hope to see it translated into many languages soon.

Do read it!

f you're bored of reading what everybody else is reading then you're
going to be a happy girl when you pick this book up. It's the most
unboring thing I've read this year, actually that's an insult, it's
GUT RIOT HILARIOUS and actually really smart. Thisis the kind of book
Emily the Strange would write if she wrote books, or she'd at least
want someone to write this book about her. Actually there are a lot
of characters which remind me of Emily the Strange, so if you like
that whole thing, or love it like I do you should definitely
DEFINITELY read MM.

Lad, I regret to inform you that your book is wonderful; sweet and weird and irreverent, absurdly light on its feet -- and infectious in timbre. I'm not particularly inclined to be so supportive -- leastways not 'til you come across with a little quid pro quo -- but the goofy good mood engendered by
the book so demands. Consider me a reluctant convert. I'll buy plenty.

Eh, I don't buy much other than graphic novels these days. Not because I'm illiterate, but because they're just BETTER, for the most part. I was pressured to buy Milrose Munce, because a friend of mine - brilliant cartoonist - is in love with the cover. So I bought it, and read it, and... Damn. The novel's EXCELLENT, it's hilarious. (So's the cover, btw - this SHOULD be a graphic novel.) If you haven't heard about it yet, it's an ridiculously wacky Young Adult novel - more like a spoof of YA, for kids who are too self-consciously ironic to read the really sappy stuff. It has THE weirdest love story I've ever encountered (and I've seen some strange ones). Buy it. And frame the cover. Do it now.

A cunningly subversive young-adult novel from one of the only living writers of English who knows how to craft a sentence.

Nearly every sentence in this book is elegantly fashioned. Some examples:

"Milrose did sometimes wonder whether his school produced more dead students than the average."

"No, he had never been the sort of boy to laugh at his own shortcomings, and when the pellets he dramatically swallowed turned out to be not Vitamin C but instead expensive first-class rat poison, he was deeply annoyed."

"Being late for Math was something Milrose occasionally enjoyed, and yesterday had felt like the right kind of day to be irresponsible."

"The dear decayed on the third floor were nothing like the dull dead on the floors below."

"Kelvin bent to sit down, and immediately shattered into ice cubes, which melted mournfully all over the floor."

"On a tedious Monday a few months back Kelvin had been particularly inspired."

"The gigglers became squealers as the skeleton whirled daintily in their direction."

"Mr. Loosten, who affected an insincere, jocular informality with the students, sat partially on the desk, with one foot on the floor and the other swinging."

"She was wearing faded crushed velvet, once something like violet: a dress far too long for her, and whose worn fringe trailed behind her like the train of a weird wedding gown."

"It was a game of chicken, but slow and infinitely strange."

"The hallway itself turned that way, and all they had to do was follow it."

"The words _comfortable_ and _cozy_ seemed to vie with each other for status as the bigger whopping lie with respect to Massimo Natica's den."

"Displayed in various places around the den were singular objects, some propped against the walls, others in glass vitrines---possessions that were clearly dear to the den's proprietor."

"Although he wasn't entirely keen to, Milrose opened one of the drawers. The drawer was clearly teasing him."

"Each had a tiny bulb above the drawer's metal-framed label, and these bulbs all seemed on the verge of winking out completely."

Dennis Anthony Cooper may be his generation's Nabokov.

---Joseph Suglia, the author of WATCH OUT

I was thrilled to find that the story of Modac has been written as a children's picture book. I read the book Modac to my fifth grade class and they sat enraptured. My small grandchildren listen just as intently to the picture book.When they are older, I'll read Modoc aloud to them too. There are many lessons woven in this story. The love between a boy and an elephant, courage, faith, perseverance, and keeping a promise. I promise you won't be disappointed when you choose this book.

Fabulous account of a true story interpreted from the novel, "Modoc", for children of all ages with beautiful illustrations and a condensed but still touching story.

This story alone is incredible. Add the beautiful illustrations, and you have a truly wonderful book! EXCELLENT! I can't say enough good things about it. Everyone should read this story! Highly recommended!

I just read this for the first time yesterday with my daughter.
This is an amazing story with beautiful illustrations by Ted Lewin.
A wonderful book!

This was a wonderful "trip" through the lives of the two main characters. It is so awesome, you have trouble believing everything that happens to both of them on their life journey. You will not be able to put this book down. My husband, who hardly ever reads, would not put it down until he was finished. It brought tears to his and my eyes. Can't say enough.

I'm not a huge YA chick lit fan, but I really enjoyed this book. The story is about a teenage girl from California named Jazz (short for Jasmine--she is half Indian) and her summer vacation at an orphanage in India. Jazz's mother was adopted at a very young age from the orphanage by American parents and wants to go back to find out more about her roots. Jazz is initially reluctant to travel to India because she has to leave behind her best-friend/crush Steve, but she eventually comes around. The story is sweet and the main character is likable from the get-go. The author does a great job of showing India from an American teenager's perspective (having gone to India myself as an American teenager). The ending was a little too optimistic to be believable but at least it was a happy one (phew!), which is almost essential in these kinds of books. I would highly recommend this as a fun summer read.

I've read all of Mitali's books, and I love this portrait of Jasmine Gardner . This is a beautiful story of a wonderful change in Jazz's life, brought about by a summer trip to India.

Mitali Perkins is a wonderful writer who weaves a great story!

Monsoon Summer by Mitali Perkins is a mediocre teen novel. A young California girl, Jazz Gardner, leaves with her family on a summer vacation to India, during the magic monsoon season, for volunteer work. Throughout this book Jazz realizes how strong, generous, and desired she really is. This novel was not the best I've ever read. The author did not do a very good job of explaining the characters. I felt the characters made me bored and they rarely expressed, or showed any emotions. In Monsoon Summer there was not an exhilirating climax, nor a great ending. The plot of this teen novel did not capture my interests. I felt the need to stop reading the book after several chapters, but I don't like to abandon a book halfway through it. Monsoon Summer did not meet my expectations of a wonderful book.

I absolutely loved this book. Monsoon Summer is the story of 15-year-old Jasmine Carol Gardner, known as Jazz. Jazz is the product of her bulky, introverted white father and her petite, activist Indian-born mother. Genetically, and by her choices, Jazz takes mostly after her father, while her younger brother, Eric, resembles their mother. Their family is very close, however, with a strong sense of mutual loyalty. Thus when Jazz's mother wins a grant to go set up a clinic for pregnant women at the orphanage in India where she lived as a child, the whole family leaves California to go along for the summer.

Jazz is quite reluctant to go to India, however, mostly because of her newly-discovered, and undisclosed, love for her best friend, Steve. Jazz and Steve run a thriving business giving Berkeley tourists postcards of themselves in front of local landmarks and nostalgic activist signs. Jazz is worried about leaving Steve to run the business by himself, and even more worried about leaving him to the mercies of other girls from school. She can't imagine actually telling Steve how she feels, because she considers him so much more attractive and popular than herself, and she is sure that he would never be interested in her in that way. Still, she hates to leave him.

Most of the story takes place in the city of Pune, India, during the monsoon season, which many believe is a magical time. Jazz is at first quite resistant to the pull of India, and to the needs of the people around her. This is mostly due to her own self-doubt (and a little bit because of her obsession with Steve). The memory of a failed experiment in helping someone else, one in which her trust was betrayed, keeps her from wanting to get involved. But gradually, the monsoons work their magic on her, and she finds her over-protected heart expanding, as she becomes more brave and confident.

I think that Jazz's self-doubt and complete inability to think of herself as beautiful will resonate with anyone who is, or ever has been, a teenager. This authenticity makes Jazz's gradual transformation an inspiration. I think that this book could help teens to see themselves in a new light.

Jazz and her father both also evolve through the book from being fairly hands-off to being people who take an active part in helping others. Without being preachy about it, Monsoon Summer makes the reader want to get more involved, too. I'm not quite sure how Mitali Perkins manages that feat. I'm personally quite resistant to books that feel like they're promoting some larger agenda. I think that it works in this case because Perkins shows us how Jazz and her father react to a specific situation, rather than simply telling us that we should act in some particular way. All I know is that I cried at the end (in a good way).

I also liked the long-distance relationship between Jazz and Steve, sweet at times, realistically snippy at others. The descriptions of India, as seen through the eyes of someone raised in America, are eye-opening, without being overwhelming. And I liked the way that the author resists the temptation to wrap up every detail, leaving at least one issue unresolved. All in all, I enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend it for teen readers. I also think that adults, especially those who are feeling a bit jaded about life, will find it a refreshing treat.

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on September 2, 2006.

I love this book. It is a fresh point of view! I totally feel in love with the characters!

Three teens, one assignment... their most excellent year.

T.C., originally Anthony Conigliaro Keller, was born into a family who loves baseball, and speaks with a very distinct accent. Like his family, T.C. loves the sport and practically knows all there is to know about baseball. It certainly helps him with his grades; if only it could help him get the girl of his dreams. With quite an odd family, a knack at frustrating those around him, making sure he only gets a B+ on everything (except for algebra, since he isn't a poser), and being a trendsetter, T.C.'s life completely changed when his mother passed away.

Augie, T.C.'s non-biological, Chinese brother, became his best friend after his mother died, helping him cope. With a love for theater, movies, and everything dramatic, Augie definitely hasn't found his true identity yet, even though everyone around him, especially the ones he loves, has. Besides theatrics, Augie is a pretty good soccer player, especially when he is playing with T.C. Of course, these distractions can't possibly pull his mind away from how his heart is pulling him in a very different direction.

Alejandra, a.k.a. T.C.'s dream girl, has never fit in, both at school or home. With a father who was the ambassador to Mexico, her dream was never with politics like her brother but more towards dance, which she must keep a secret. Because of her father, Alejandra has been able to meet some very famous politicians and celebrities. Of course, all of the famous people she met didn't help her status in school, since she was automatically considered stuck-up. But T.C. still loves her, except she doesn't love him back, or so she thinks. Not one to hide her opinions,
who wouldn't be scared of her?

Beginning in their late junior year, the three flash back to their freshmen year... their most excellent year.

The year where love, sexuality, identity, friendship, and strength were discovered. Each one writing in the diaries for
their English class, all addressed to an important person: T.C. to his mama, Augie to the diva of the week, and Alejandra to Jacqueline, the wife of her favorite president, JFK.

Laughter, tears, and relief will be felt by not only the characters but also the readers. MY MOST EXCELLENT YEAR takes three very distinct, honest teens who all have problems of their own, and who need each other
desperately in the end. Steve Kluger allows the reader to have a close interaction with the characters, who are all very well-developed and defined, making the story all the more enjoyable.

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

I discovered Steve Kluger by accident, when I picked up "The Last Days of Summer" at a book fair run by my temple a few years ago. It sat on a shelf for a while, and when I finally read it in 2004 I was knocked out. Since then, I made a point of reading everything by Steve. I was thrilled to hear about the release of "My Most Excellent Year" recently. Only after purchasing it did I realize it was classified as Young Adult fiction. While this book is suitable and wonderful for Young Adults, it's suitable and will be loved by anyone.

As in his other books, Steve brings characters to life through little snippets of written communication between the characters. It's a humorous and touching story of a group of teenagers, a younger boy they take under their wing, and their respective families and young love.

I was sad when it ended and wished I could follow the lives of these young people as they grew further into adulthood. (Hey Steve - a sequel or two - or five? It worked for J.K. Rowling...)

I recommend this or any of Steve's books for anyone.

Incidentally, I've now written to Steve twice and received very gracious replies explaining the inspirations behind the books. He's not only a great writer, he's a great guy.

A terrific coming-of-age story that has such unique and likable characters I really want a sequel: The College Years. Highly recommend and a perfect beach/subway read - it takes you away!

If this were in a movie store, it would be in the romantic comedy section; but that would be selling it well short.

There are three narrators who are juniors in high school writing an essay on each of their "Most Excellent Years". The essays are constructed in letters with some e-mails thrown in. The "excellent year for each is the same year as they are three great friends who bonded in their freshman year of high school. There is T.C. the all-around cool kid whose mother died when he was six. Most of his letters are to his mother (who was ideal and very cool). There is Augie, who is coming out as a homosexual - something every knows about before he does - who letters are to the "diva of the week". Lastly, Alejandre is the smart, pretty diplomat's daughter/belle who is the object of T.C.'s romantic designs. Then Hucky gets introduced as the year goes along. He is a six year old deaf boy who believes in Mary Poppins and is taken under wing by the three friends.

This is a wonderful storing of bonding on many levels - friendships, teenage love, parents/children, teenagers/young boy. It is also a novel of ambitions and desires and what is important in life.

There is great humor in this book. For those who loved, as I did, "The Last Days of Summer", the humor is deeper and not on every page, but is still frequent and terrific.

One of the other great aspects of this book (really, a five star book deserves this many superlatives) is that the entire family can enjoy it. It is getting passed around my family - 15, 17 and wife as I write this.

All the characters have depth, which is necessary for any book centered around relationships. There is not a weak character in the book - and there are a lot of characters as is appropriate for three teenagers. If they are a bit idealized, who cares? Every character in the book is someone you would love to know and whom you will love getting to know page by page. I wish the book had been another hundred pages.

Great teenage stories that draw students to want to read the book. I can't keep the series of books in my classroom. As soon as it's checked in it's checked out by someone else.

Have you ever read a book that you can relate to?
Well I just a read a book that was just like that.Diary of a teenage girl book 5: My name is Chloe.I found that it was very easy for me to relate to the main character,Chloe.This book has to do with a teenage girl struggling to fit in and dealing with Christianity.
The book is about this girl Chloe Miller.Most people see her as a rebel she wears long weird clothing.She has piercings,her hair is cut in a weird way.She dyes it all sorts of different colors.She feels like there's nothing important in her life.She feels as though no one understands her.She doesn't have a lot of friends people are afraid of her.Her parents aren't all that different her mother doesn't approve of how she looks.She then make friends with an african american christian girl Laura and a girl Allie who's practicing witch craft.She and Allie become christians.They start playing music together and form a christian band.
I really enjoyed reading this book.The words and the message was really powerful.You could tell that the author was writing straight from her heart.It was very spiritual.I highly recommend it.

Have you ever felt extremely left out? Like you have don't have friends and no one loves you? Well that's how Chloe Miller, a very confused teen, felt. She had used to be such a good girl, but suddenly her life was changing. It seemed as if she had crossed over to the dark side. She began wearing ratty clothes and she always seemed unhappy. When Chloe thought that everything in her life was as horrible as it could get, she realized she was wrong. On one rainy night in her favorite cemetery, she decided to invite Jesus into her heart and become a Christian. Her life then took another dramatic change as Jesus began to solve some of her problems. She started to easily make new friends, went to church, and started a band. You'll have to read the book to see if Chloe's new life will really work out the way she plans.
This book was very interesting and a lot of things happened that I wasn't expecting. I like the Diary of a Teenage Girl series because the books are written like an actual girl's diary. One of my favorite parts was when Chloe decided to become a Christian. Her life took one drastic change and I really felt happy for her. The only thing I didn't like about the book was the way Chloe started out. She was very unhappy and had different friends. But then, if she hadn't been that way, nothing exciting would have happened.
I have a feeling that only girls would probably like this book. There really isn't anything about these books that guys would be interested in. So, if you think it sounds good, I recommend it to you.

This novel is very inspirational and should be read by every teenage girl. Chloe Miller struggles with your everyday teenage problems, fitting in at school, parents, and searching for faith. Chloe surrenders her life to God and forms the all girl Christian band Redemption.

This book is a really easy read. It is written in the form of the diary of the main character, Chloe Miller. This gives it such a real feel, the way it is simply written as a teenager would write. It really helps you relate to the character on a personal level. You read what she goes through and her thoughts and emotions, and you feel them too as you read. I love the way Melody Carlson writes. Her characters are so real, so true to life. Each of the people she describes in this story reminds me of someone I know who is like that. Her descriptions are so detailed, that you even imagine the wrinkles in their faces. She really diversifies her characterization. The three girls in the band are so unique and different from each other. There's, of course, Chloe, the fun-loving, sensitive songwriter who takes her faith very seriously. She dresses very creatively and is laid back about her style. Then there's Laura, the very proper and well kept bass player. She's very tidy and self conscious about her appearance and has a very strong sense of morals. Then there's Allie, the drummer. She is bubbly and hyper and never seems to rest. She's boy crazy and altogether silly, and although she's confident in most situations, she still gets stage fright once in a while. The plot of the story is also very strong. When the girls are performing their first concert, you feel their stage fright with them because of Carlson's elaborate description of the setting, and their emotions. So if you're a girl and into music, you should definitely read this book, it'll teach you things about friendship, struggle, music, and God.

As a teenage girl Chloe has many struggles in her life: no friends at school, getting tormented by bullies, and having her parents not fully accepting her for who she is. Working through these problems can be really hard for Chloe when she has no one to express her thoughts and feelings too. For Chloe she finds relief in playing her guitar and listening to music. She also goes to a graveyard and visits this one specific grave to just sit and think about what is going on. At school one day Chloe meets some friends that are into drugs and stuff that isn't good for your body, she stays in contact with them-specifically one girl-but never gets into the whole drug thing. Later on she visits the graveyard again where she makes a huge change in her life. Chloe accepts Christ into her heart. From that point on everything seems to get much better for her, Chloe and two other girls are starting a band, her parents take notice of her now, and she just feels better as a person. Through weeks of practice the band has gotten really good together. They are now performing at the Paradiso (a small coffee house in town). There next gig is at the Battle of the Bands competition. With help from Willy, someone from Chloe's church, the bands goes through a tough week of practice to insure that they are ready for the competition. When it arrives they perform and didn't really do all that great but it was ok. After all the bands played their song the winners were announced and to their surprise they got second place. Now what will happen that their band has been noticed by important people in the music business?
I would recommend this book to any teenage girl. This book is categorized as a Christian Fiction but it's also suspenseful in a way. You do not have to read the Caitlin books first to understand this story. There are many sequels to this story that I'm sure are really good. If you just like a good story you'd like this book. I liked pretty much everything about this book; I don't have any negatives to mention. The thing I liked most about this book is how I could take the story and relate it to my own life.

i enjoyed this book the first time i read it in high school, and i just read it again almost 12 years later and its still my favorite!

I am a college sophomore and I recently read this book for the second time. As a senior in high school the book touched my heart and my life, but I attributed that to the proximity of the year that I was reading about. Now, two years later, the book spoke to me with an even louder voice. It evoked nostalgia, which in turn made me both laugh and cry hysterically. A book that is meant to transport you into the life of a senior in high school should do no less...anyone who has ever been at that point in their life knows the unbelievable highs and lows that will be encountered. Michael Fitzgibbons' accurate, satirical, purposeful, and piercing characters, themes, and story lines cut right to the heart of matters. This man surely was writing about something of which he has a distinct and thorough knowledge. If you've never been a senior in high school read it and marvel at what you missed. If you have, read it and be amazed at the truth it reveals. I can't wait to see what else this author comes up with!!!

I read this book through a friend who knew the author and I was amazed at how accurately a high schooler was portrayed by this author. It brought back some fond and not so fond memories of my own high school experience. I have since passed the book on to several friends, as well as my mother and they have all said the same thing- it is awesome. It evokes such emotions and memories it is hard to put down. I really think that students should read it before their senior year to know what they might encounter, parents should read it to know the difficulties their kids are up against and teachers should read it to see why students sometimes have their problems. All in all a great book.

I am a student of Mr. Fitzgibbons and he showed me a copy of the manuscript before it was published. When it was published and able to be sold, I bought it and read it within two days. The only time I put it down was to eat, take a shower, and for the few hours of sleep at night. I would read until 2 am and wake up at 5 to begin reading again. This book goes into the world of a senior in high school and gives life to the ideas that truly go through our heads as students in high school. It helps us realize the difficulties of being a teenager, and the many trials that we have to over come. I recommand this book to anyone in high school and anyone who has ever been through high school. It's a great read! It can make you laugh, think, and even get mad at certain characters. You can relate to what Sully has to go through...Congrats Mr. Fitz, you did it! I love the book!

This captivating novel by Mike Fitzgibbons will have you in stiches as you discover how closely Sully's high school stories relate to your own experiences. My Senior Year will take you on an enlightening journey of self-discovery.

My pastor introduced this book to our church. I find it a managable portion of scripture to read at the beginning of each day as I spend "My Time With God." It consists of just 2 pages of scripture reading, in the usual order, as you go through the entire New Testament in one year. There are old testament passages that accompany the New Testament reading for the day, helping to expand upon the truths for the day's reading. The discussion by well-known preachers, evangelists, writers, teachers, and also spiritual icons of days gone by, which follow each day's reading cause me to reflect upon and apply to my life what I have read.

I look forward to picking up this book each morning, knowing I have enough time to meet with the Lord before my hectic day begins. I have already given away 3 of these as gifts to others whom I know are pursuing a closer walk with God.

I found this book to be perfect for what I was looking for. It has a lot of Bible reading in the devotional itself and the New Century Version which it uses is easy reading and in today's language. It makes the Bible reading a pleasure. I also really like the comments and how they are pertinent to the Bible passage.

This is a great daily devotional that leads you through the New Testament. Each day has a small piece of the Old Testament and a great commentary, then Questions for a thoughtful prayer. I also like the NCV (new century version).

We have been using this book as part of our daily devotionsfor several years, and LOVE it.It takes one throught the New Testament in one year and each day has great insights. I have given it as a gift to many and it has been well received. I would HIGHLY recommend it..a 5 star in my book.

i really like this translation of the New Testament. it is very easy to understand and reads like a novel. the division into these short "15 Minute" sections are a great incentive for me to read it every day. to have someone elses commentary along with the text, helps to inspire my own thoughts and insights. i also like the references to the old testament, and i frequently look up those scriptures to gain a better understanding. this little book makes a great gift. i can only recommend it.