Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines

Full disclosure, I picked this book up while I was in the middle of binge watching Friday Night Lights and was caught up in the whole high school football team story.  However, this book isn't much like Friday Night Lights (other than the football story), but the book is also so so good.

The main character in this story is Maggie who has just moved in with her aunt and uncle after watching her father murder her mother.  Maddie is the one who told the police what happened and the guilt she felt caused her to stop speaking to anyone.  She goes through life silently witnessing what is happening around her, but playing no role in her life.  When she moves in to her new family, her aunt and uncle ask her cousin Brady to show her around and make her feel part of the high school life.  Brady is part of the Lawton High football squad and he has told all of his friends that his cousin is off limits.   But, West Ashby, Brady's best friend is also hiding something from his friends.  The fact that his father is dying of cancer.  West hasn't let anyone in on this secret because he doesn't want to admit anything is wrong.  When Maddie and West are thrown together, West finds comfort in Maddie's silences. The fact that he can speak what is in his heart, and he knows his secrets are safe with her.  But as these two start sharing their secrets, they find what kept them apart from everyone else is what pulls them closer together.

I loved this story- so much so that I have preordered the next book in the series for my Kindle for later this month.  Both West and Maggie's pain is hard to read, but the way the support each other is beautiful.

This book has some mature bits in in, there is some talk about sex, but nothing graphic or over the top.  I would feel comfortable having this in my grade 7 classroom, but you may want to read it first.

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

Last week a friend gave me this book to read because it was recommended by a student.  I haven't read many YA books lately, one of the drawbacks of not being in the classroom is that I don't have as much motivation to find new books for kids to read.

Yesterday was a perfect day for laying by the pool and reading and this was the perfect book for it.
Everything Everything is a little like The Fault in Our Stars but different in many ways too.
Madeline Whitter is not like any other high school student you will ever meet.  She is 17 years old and never leaves her house, ever.  The only human contact she has is with her mom, her nurse Carla and occasionally one of her tutors.  Yet Madeline is happy.  She loves to read, and is passionate about architecture.  Although there are times when she wishes her life was different, her mom and nurse try to make her life as exciting and happy as possible.  One day when a new family moves in next door, Madeline can't help but be intrigued by the new boy in the family.  They seem to be about the same age, and Madeline finds herself drawn to him.  As the story goes on, Madeline and Olly become friends through electronic communication and Madeline begins to fall in love with him. Suddenly her tidy life isn't enough for her, she starts wishing for more.  But, she has to be brave enough to life life to the fullest, even if that comes at a high cost to herself.

I loved, loved, loved this book.  I could not put it down, and I actually finished it in one sitting.  There is one mature scene in the book, but it is handled so well that I wouldn't hesitate to have it in my grade 7 classroom. Anyone who loves John Green would love this book.  I can't wait to share it with some of my former students who are now in grade 9.

Transferral by Kate Blair

I found this book on Twitter and knew it was my type of book so I ordered it right away.

In this dystopian world, when someone gets an illness, they can have it transferred to a criminal.  Criminals are given sentences of illnesses based on the severity of the crime.  The bigger the crime, the more serious the illness they are given.
When we first meet Talia, the daughter of a Prime Ministerial candidate she is suffering from a cold and wants nothing more than to get rid of it. She is embarrassed to be seen coughing and wiping her nose, and her father needs to stay far away from her so he doesn't appear weak.  While at the hospital, Talia is confronted by a mad man and she risks her own life to help a young girl.
That action throws Talia into a world in which she knew nothing about.  The more she learns about this young girl and her family, the more she starts questioning everything she has ever believed in.  Her father doesn't understand what she is thinking, and tries to get her to see things his way.  But Talia does everything in her power to make him see reason.

This book was amazing!  Fast paced, interesting and exciting. Talia is a great character- strong, believable and convincing.  My only issue with this book was that the print was so small that it was hard to read.  But maybe that is just my age!

Anybody who loves reading dystopian novels will love this book.

Will to Survive by Eric Walters

I know I've said this many, many times, but I love ANYTHING written by Eric Walters- and this book was no exception.  I've been waiting for this book to come out for over a year- and I was so excited when it arrived this week.  I started it yesterday and finished it early this morning.
If you haven't read Rule of Three or Fight For Power you really need to read those first.

In this book, Adam, his friends and family are still trying to survive and thrive in a world where there is no electricity or power.  His neighbourhood has pulled together in order to survive. They have rules, routines and people to help make decisions.  Life inside their community is actually moving along pretty well.  But people on the outside want what they have, and are willing to stop at nothing to get it.  Adam at 16 needs to make some pretty serious decisions, but he is lucky to have his friend Herb there to guide him and direct him.   The big question is how far will Adam have to go to survive?

Will to Survive starts off where Fight for Power ends, and it is full of excitement, and adventure from the first page.  What I loved most about this book is that Adam is now in situations that are more typical of dystopian novels.  The people on the outside are dangerous and violent and Adam finds himself in situations that put not only his life, but the lives of his friends and family at risk.  Adam is a strong character with a great moral compass, but even he questions what he is going to have to do in order to keep his community safe.  Walters doesn't shy away from the means that people who are hungry for power will go to in order to take something they want.  Yet in true Walters fashion, it is done in a way that would be accessible for elementary aged students.

If you are a fan of Eric Walters, a fan of dystopian novels, or a fan of great stories- you need to read this book- well actually the whole series.  It was truly my favourite young adult series I've read in a very long time.

Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Don't ask me where I picked this book up because I have no idea.  It was in my TBR pile and last week when I was looking for a book to read, this is the one that stood out for me.  I LOVED this book- I loved that it was told through poetry, but also that it was a story of a grade 7 boy playing basketball told in poetry!

Crossover is the story of twin brothers, Josh and Jordan Bell. They are the children of a former basketball star and they have game. They are the star players on their school team and they eat, sleep and dream basketball.  That is  until a girl comes along and suddenly things start to change for the brothers.
As the boys adapt to new feelings and changes at home, they use basketball as a way to work through their thoughts and feelings.

The story is told from Josh's perspective and he is such an interesting character.  At the start it is all about basketball, but as the story goes on, you start to realize he has deeper feelings and his writing changes as the story progresses.  Both Josh and Jordan are dealing with both normal things all kids deal with, but with the added pressure of their father's dreams for them as well.

I can't wait to share this with some of the boys from my class last year.  The fact that the story is told through poetry opens up so many discussion opportunities as well making it a quick read, which is appealing to many boys.  

Innocent by Eric Walters

Eric Walter's has done it again!  He has created the idea for a series of books where there are different characters connected by a common event.  Just like with the Seven series, the Secret series is written by different authors who each explore a different character.

After a fire at the orphanage where Betty has grown up, she is forced to start her new life outside the only home she has ever known quicker than expected.  When Betty ends up in Kingston, she finds herself working for the richest family in Kingston as a maid.  As she gets to know the other servants and family members, Betty is given glimpses of her life before the orphanage.  The more she learns about her past, the more confused she becomes.  When she learns that her father is serving time in jail for murder, it takes all of her strength to discover the truth.

As with all Eric Walter's books, I loved this character.  She was strong, determined and very clear in her beliefs.  I really liked the fact that this book was set in 1964 and in Kingston.  I could see many places Betty visited in my mind as I read through the book.  The gentle life style of the 1960's was really interesting and put a different twist on the story.  I like reading about kids dealing with situations who aren't quite as jaded or connected to social media as most books I read these days.

I think this series is destined to be another success for Eric Walters and the other authors.  I want to go out tomorrow and pick up more of the books.  I can really see girls in grade 5 or 6 enjoying these books.    

What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler

Last week I was doing some Christmas shopping at found myself at Chapters.  Of course I had to see what was new in YA books, because even though I'm not in the classroom right now, I like to keep on top of new books.

What We Saw is an incredible book.  In some ways it reminds me of Some Girls Are, Speak, and The Mocking Birds, however this story looks at the situation from a different perspective.
The main character is Katie, the book opens up with her waking up the morning after a big party.  She doesn't remember much, only that she had been drinking and something happened between her and a boy she has liked for a long time.  When kids at school start receiving texts, Instagram and Reddit posts from the party, Katie starts putting things together.  The kids at school are divided into different camps based on their perception of the events of this night.  Katie has to figure out not only what happened, but what she will do with the information once she discovers the truth.

It is hard to do justice to this book since I don't want to give anything away.  I found this book to be incredibly interesting.  Katie is a great female character who finds herself questioning many things.  Her friend Ben is also struggling with that night, all he wants to do is forget it and not get involved. All of the characters in the story are believable as they are dealing with a party that got out of hand.

Anyone who has read any of the books I mentioned above would love this story.  I wouldn't hesitate to give it to mature readers in grade 8, but I would strongly suggest reading the story first.