Suite Scarlett

Suite Scarlett


By: Maureen Johnson
Reviewer: HorseCrazy101, 17
Rating: Loved it!


Scarlett Martin has grown up in the Hopewell Hotel, owned by her family for 75 years. As a tradition, when a Martin turns 15 they are expected to care for their own suite and any guest who might stay there. The summer Scarlett turns 15, not only does she receive the Empire Suite but also a flamboyant, C-list starlet named Mrs. Amberson as a long-term guest. Scarlett had hoped that over the summer she could get a job to earn some spending money, but the family's financial crisis forces Scarlett and her siblings to step up and help out around the hotel more often. So much for her brilliant summer plans...

Scarlett's brother, Spencer, is a brilliant actor trying to get his big break, but for a kid in New York City, where everyone is an actor, jobs are hard to find. When Spencer lands a role in a production of Hamlet, he believes he has finally found a way to avoid being shipped off to culinary school, but just when it seemed perfect, everything fell apart. Mrs. Amberson, back in New York after some 20-odd years, is determined to make something of herself and this small group of aspiring actors, so she steps in and helps arrange all the details of the production. Scarlett's role as Mrs. Amberson's right hand girl also allows Scarlett to get to know Eric, a gorgeous actor who just moved to the city and happens to be Spencer's play partner.

Between a summer romance, a series of unfortunate events in show business, and plotting a scheme against an apparent rival, Scarlett will be having a much more exciting summer than she originally thought she would. When the ultimate barrier stands in the way of her brother's future, Scarlett maybe the only on who can fix everything, and with some help from her friends, she may be able to pull it off.

I found myself laughing out loud several times throughout the story, and other times the emotions of a 15 year old brought a certain realness to the situation. Overall this really was a fun read, and I can't wait to read the sequel.

This Song Will Save Your Life

This Song Will Save Your Life 


By: Leila Sales
Reviewer: HorseCrazy101, 17
Rating:


Elise Dembowski is sixteen and invisible. She has always loved taking on new projects, so the summer before sophomore year she studies all the popular magazines for guidance in what to wear, how to act, and all the hot gossip of the teen world, all in an attempt to be cool. The first day of school, Elise strides onto campus, confident her plan has worked, only to realize that she is still plain, unpopular her. Disappointed and feeling hopeless, Elise returns home and and turns to her alternative: suicide.

The aftermath of Elise's attempt just makes things worse, and when someone begins cyber bullying her by taking on her persona in a fake blog, she doesn't know what to do. Elise finds solace in her music and copes by walking the streets at night. One night she comes across an underground dance club called Start. There she meets Vicky (an accepting girl in a band), Pippa (a spirited girl from England) Mel the doorman, and Char (the cute, mysterious disc jockey). Most importantly, Start introduces Elise to a whole world she never knew existed, one in which she could be herself and be happy.

Elise develops a passion for DJing and actually starts to feel normal again, but when her secret is discovered, all that is threatened to be taken away from her.

Everyone at some point in their lives feels a little bit outcast, and this book addresses the topic in a highly appropriate and satisfying way. Elise's story speaks to teens in a way that encourages them to be themselves and let go of what society deems "normal". This Song Will Save Your Life teaches readers about identity, friendship, and the power of music.

The DUFF

The DUFF  


By: Kody Keplinger
Reviewer: HorseCrazy101, 17
Rating: Really liked it


Being at the top of the social food chain in high school is something seventeen year old Bianca Piper cannot relate to. She is cynical, short, slightly pudgy, and plain. She knows she isn't the prettiest of her friends, and that's something she has always been okay with. So when the school hottie and resident manwhore, Wesley Rush, tells her she is the Designated Ugly Fat Friend (DUFF), her inner insecurities start seeping out and fill her head.

Between her mom walking out on the family and her ex-alcoholic father struggling not to relapse, Bianca is desperate for a distraction. It is because of this that Bianca, in a completely impulsive moment, kisses Wesley Rush. What's worse is that she liked it. It is exactly the distraction she was looking for, thus she develops a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Bianca's plan to simply use Wesley works well...until it all falls apart. After spending so much time with him, Bianca learns that Wesley is actually a pretty good listener and has his own screwed up life. She begins to realize, with horror, that she is falling for the guy she thought she hated the most. Now, trying to put a stopper on emotions has never been so important.

More Happy Than Not

More Happy Than Not


By: Adam Silvera
Reviewer: HorseCrazy101, 17
Rating: Really liked it


Aaron Soto is a 16 year old black boy from the Bronx who lives in a one bedroom apartment with his mom and older brother. His father committed suicide, and the few months since then have not been easy. Aaron even tried to take his own life shortly after, but he survived the attempt. Now he is trying to get his life back on track with the help of his mother, friends, and girlfriend, Genevieve.

When Genevieve leaves for a few weeks, Aaron finds himself spending all his time with the new boy on the block, Thomas. Aaron's friends notice, and they aren't exactly happy about it. But Aaron can't ignore the way he feels around Thomas: the happiness that reverberates in his bones and the safety he finds through Thomas. These are the things he knows he should be feeling toward Genevieve.

Since Aaron can't seem to step away from Thomas or turn off his feelings for him, he decided to seek help from Leteo Institute, an organization that experiments with memory alteration. If Aaron can forget his feelings for Thomas and ease the pain of his father's death, everything will go back to normal, right? But Aaron must decide how far he's willing to go to be happy again. After all, his brain can only go so far before it snaps, and Aaron loses himself forever.

Skyscraping

Skyscraping


By: Cordelia Jensen
Reviewer: HorseCrazy101, 17
Rating: Loved it!


Mira is starting her senior year of high school, and everything is going great. She is the school yearbook editor, she's about to apply for early admission to Columbia, and she has signed up to be a freshman mentor on the leadership team. There isn't a dark cloud in Mira's life...until she walks in on her father and his male lover. This shocking discovery leads Mira to question everything she ever thought she knew about her family, and in time only more secrets will be revealed.

The newly uncovered family Mira is thrust into sends her into a downward spiral. She loses her passion for yearbook editing, rebels by lashing out at her family, and turns to pot and alcohol for solace. Her grades drop and she risks her chance at getting into college. No one seems to understand, and she is drowning in the chaos her life has become.

Through all the confusion and betrayal come new emotions: fear and heartache. When her father's illness threatens to destroy her family completely, Mira must learn to let go of the past and offer forgiveness...before it's too late. The novel is written in beautiful free verse that exposes the raw pain of loss and reminds readers of the importance of family. The intensity of this girl's story keeps readers turning the pages with excitement until the very end.