Sean Griswold’s Head by Lindsey Leavitt  <website • twitter>
Publication Date: March 1, 2011
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 288
Target audience: Young Adult
Keywords: Multiple Sclerosis, sick parent, focus project, counseling
Format read: Purchased the paperback after Lori recommended I read this book.

Summary: After Payton finds out her father has Multiple Sclerosis and stops speaking to her family for keeping the secret from her (for 6 months!) she finds herself in counseling sessions. Her assignment is to find a focus object to help her sort through all of her feelings.

Oh, the days of alphabetical order. I was always at the very end of the line because my maiden name started with a Z. But Payton finds herself in the middle of the alphabet (as a G), and always has to sit behind Sean Griswold in biology class. He has a big head and sometimes it’s a bit distracting when Payton’s trying to take notes and see the board.

It (yep, his head) becomes her focus object when she begins sessions with the school counselor. The focus object is supposed to help her sort through all of her feelings and emotions about her family neglecting to tell her about her dad’s Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis. She just happened to walk into her parent’s bedroom while her mother was administering a shot for her dad. Payton shuts them out — she quits basketball (the sport she and her dad loved to bond over) and stops speaking to them entirely.

Naturally, her mom intervenes. Yippie?

This counselor is super strange and her methodology a bit unorthodox. She tells Payton to find a focus object (thinking it would be something simple and inanimate) to journal about. But of course in her act of defiance, Payton chooses Sean’s big head. She and her best friend Jac, who happens to be quite obsessed with the male population, manipulate their way into Sean’s life by stalking him and finding ways to intercept him in hallways. A series of lists, graphs, pie charts, and Sean factoids ensues.

The problem with this focus project is Payton falls for Sean.

He introduces her to bike riding (of the competitive sort) and gives her something to put all her energy into that she used to exhaust during basketball practices and games. She is able to open up to him about all the complexities of her family situation, and instead of being scared away, he reacts in the kindest, most sincere way. (Nope, not telling you what’s involved — read the book!)

Lindsey Leavitt did a phenomenal job tapping into the mindset of a younger high school student — one who is very mature, but also has a lot to learn about life. There’s a lovely balance of friendship, family, and first love. And just as Estelle mentioned in her review of None of the Regular Rules, it was so refreshing to see two girls who are such close friends sort through some difficulties. Oftentimes, friendships in YA seem to be either/or — either they’re perfect or the best friends seem so mismatched and uncharacteristically paired. When it came to Jac and Payton — they’re definitely opposites in just about every way, but they’re very self-aware and (typically) know how to use their strengths to help the other through a tough time.

I know most of you are probably excited about the strong family element, but maybe a little shied away because I mentioned a sick parent. Please note that you shouldn’t be afraid. Sure, I’m kind of a sucker for a good melancholy story, but Leavitt maintained a carefree tone. She certainly didn’t shy away from sharing Payton’s feelings and emotions, but she treated Payton like the strong, brave girl she is without dwelling on the sadness.

Maybe if you’re new to Lindsey Leavitt’s work like I was, you should check out Sean Griswold’s Head and then follow up with Going Vintage — they’re both strong contemporary stories about very real, original girls trying to find their way through the chaos of high school.

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Burning Blue by Paul Griffin
Publication Date: October 25, 2012
Publisher: Dial
Pages: 288
Target audience: Mature Young Adult
Keywords: burn victim, computer hackers, thriller, suspense, mystery
Format read: ARC from ALA Annual (Thank you!)

Summary: After half of Nicole’s face is burned by an anonymous person using a squirt bottle filled with acid, Jay begins to investigate and hunt down the culprit, hacking into computers, phones, etc. searching for clues.

You guys know I love contemporary YA books. I big puffy heart love them. One genre I haven’t reviewed since RBR began is thrillers. A little known fact is I used to thrive on thrillers (mostly adult fiction). I went through a phase where I was reading lots of ‘em, but since I dove head-first into YA books, I haven’t read a single one. I’ve told you guys before, but I’m reiterating it now, I like the thrill of the chase — I like to be caught off guard by the author. Boy, oh boy, did Paul Griffin deliver with Burning Blue.

Told from the point of view of Jay, a boy who suffers from seizures and the aftermath of an incident where he peed his pants in front of his high school, we learn about Nicole. She is the girl who has it all: popularity, beauty, smarts, money. She’s not a snobby popular girl, though. She’s nice and kind to everyone. (She’s one of those girls many people would be envious of.) One day as she’s rounding the corner to make it to class on time (after a mini-make-out session with her boyfriend Dave), she is squirted in the face by a bottle of acid.

Half of her face is damaged.

Jay and Nicole bump into one another before their scheduled therapy sessions at school six weeks after the incident. They begin talking and hit it off. Jay leaves that day wanting answers. A little known fact about Jay: he’s a genius computer hacker. He begins breaking all kinds of laws by hacking into the police department’s files and tries to solve the mystery of who did this to Nicole.

Burning Blue is filled with so much mystery, intrigue, and tons of suspense. It’s a story of whodunit — I needed to know who hurt Nicole, but I was fueled to devour the book because I wanted to know the motive. I never knew when a valuable clue was being given or when I was on the right track to guessing who the guilty person was. Griffin comprehensively developed a full cast of characters that constantly had me wondering:

• Who would want to hurt Nicole?
• Why?
• Did no one see what happened?
• Her boyfriend, Dave, was in the hall when it happened. Is he lying about not seeing the incident?
• Was Dave involved?

While Jay is our main storyteller, we get glimpses of Nicole through minimal journal entries and a few notes written by one of her therapists. I began to speculate whether or not Nicole could have harmed herself. Did she do this to herself? What would cause a person to inflict this kind of self-harm? (I should mention I also questioned Jay’s fixation on Nicole and finding the villain. Was I reading from the criminal’s point of view?!)

Burning Blue is a complex story, weaving the drama of Jay’s life together with the pressure of Nicole’s. Jay lives with a dad who isn’t around much and his mother passed away. His social life is laughable since his aforementioned seizure incident, which led him to be homeschooled for a year. Nicole’s burn wasn’t the only complication in her life. Her parents recently split and her relationship with Dave is full of friction since the accident. Oh, and photographers are stalking her so they can make bank on her story.

While I very much enjoyed Griffin’s Stay With Me, I felt he tapped into something completely unique, dark, and suspenseful with Burning Blue. I welcome more of this type of story from him. I highly recommend you pick up a copy as soon as you can so you can experience Griffin’s incredible writing and the insanity of the mystery.

(Also: Don’t forget to read the acknowledgments after you finish Burning Blue. Griffin offers incredible insight about his inspiration for the story.)

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The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder [website | twitter]
Release Date: December 8, 2011
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 357
Target Audience: Young Adult
Format: Hardback from the library for E; Hardback owned by M.
How we found out about it: Well, it seems like everyone and their grandma had read this book so it’s about time we did too!

Summary: Cam doesn’t believe in miracles or happily ever afters. How could she? After years of treatment for cancer, there’s nothing more to do except join her mom and sister on a road trip to Promise, Maine — a place where the most unbelievable things can happen. Or so they say. Will the intriguing existence of Asher finally get her out of her room? Or will it be the pressure to fulfill the flamingo/bucket list she made with her best friend a few years back?

Magan: Hello, lovely Estelle! Ready to discuss The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder?

Estelle: Very, very ready!

M: So… overall, how did you feel about this book? Love it? Hate it?

E: I definitely didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it as much as I wanted to. How about “liked very much”?

M: I feel the same way. I had a VERY hard time getting into the book and loving the Cam. Did you feel immediately connected to the story, if at all?

E: I think I felt connected to the story in some way because of the Disney references. It feels dumb to even say that because she was basically insulting everything Disney is all about (and I feel the complete opposite) but her quips about the company made me laugh and it felt like Disney was a big part of her family foundation. I’m not sure how we were supposed to connect with Cam because she was so sarcastic and sort of accepting of her short life sentence. I know I wouldn’t have acted the same way. (Long answer. haha)

M: I think that’s why I didn’t connect with her. She didn’t seem to have any hope. Maybe if I were going through a similar situation (or had a family member with terminal cancer) I would feel differently, but she just acted like she was a lost cause. I guess I’d like to think I’m more of a fighter than that. Aside from the Disney connection, when did you feel the story really picked up?

E: The story felt like it split into three parts for me. The first would be up until they got to Maine. The second when she started doing those deeds for her sister and mother. And the third when her relationship with Asher began to flourish. The story really started to move for me around the second part. I just wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen. What about for you?

M: I 100% agree with your breakdown of the book. I found the first 100ish page to be really slow. Once they got to Maine I was more interested, but she holed herself up in the widow’s walk and spent a lot of time alone. I was so intrigued by Asher that I really just wanted to learn more about his story. When that happened, I felt 10x more invested in the book. Maybe I just really like good love stories… Ha!

E: I totally agree with you. I almost feel like we got jipped because I didn’t think I got to know Asher as well as I thought I would, even from the flap of the book. It was pretty deceiving.

M: Yes! I definitely thought there would be more development between Asher and Cam. I liked that he was always around, but their relationship went from acquaintances to “I love yous” pretty quickly. Maybe that was partly due to Cam having cancer, but I would have found it more believable if we’d had more of them. I mean, there are parts like “Ass Whisperer” that really made me laugh out loud. I wanted more of that.

E: Yes! I loved Asher’s sense of humor and wish the structure of the book was a little bit different. It never felt cliche or super dramatic or unnatural… just a little jarring? Don’t get me wrong. I liked Cam’s personality. It was way different than I was expecting and there were many moments I loved and then just didn’t. (Her encounter at that party? I had to go back and read that a few times because I didn’t even realized what happened.) I never felt like I had a clear grasp on who she was and what her intentions were and what she was feeling.

M: OH, yeah! When her mom (Alicia) and Perry went off on her about how selfish she was I didn’t feel like I clearly understood or related to their feelings. I liked how it affected and changed Cam for the better, but it felt like I was watching everything unfold but wasn’t emotionally involved. Do you think that could have something to do with it being written in third person? It took me a LONG time to adapt to that and definitely wish it had been written from Cam’s POV.

E: That’s a really good point. We are somewhat detached as readers because of that choice. I’m not sure if I can imagine the book in first person though. Is that weird? I don’t even know if that would help. She seemed to keep people at a distance until she didn’t anymore and maybe that’s just something we had to accept?

M: Maybe so. I suppose she did that because she was sick. It’s just so sad and lonely to me. She didn’t have many friends and she kept people at arm’s length. I think I’d just want to die surrounded by the people I love. I wouldn’t want to leave them with memories of me being so secluded and alone. (Trying to avoid spilling too much about how the story progressed with Cam.)

E: It’s really hard to talk about this book without spilling all of its secrets.

M: Yup. So, my favorite things were a) getting to know Asher, b) the flamingos, c) learning about Maine, and… d) actually the VERY end of the book. The last few pages had me in tears. What did you love about it?

E: I also did love Asher. I loved Cam’s sister Perry and the big speech she has at one point. The grandma was another awesome character. And I couldn’t get enough of the Disney references as I said earlier. I was glad they popped up throughout the entire book. That was actually one of the highlights. There were some super amazing details throughout the whole thing.

M: OH MY GOSH, NANA! Yes, she was awesome. I loved her windbreakers. Haha.

E: Can we talk about the ending for a teenie tiny bit?

M: Of course! *READERS: There may be spoilers beyond this point!* What’s on your mind?

E: It all happened really fast, and what necessary happened, I thought might not. If that makes sense.

M: It was another one of those situations where there was a swift and abrupt change that I wasn’t expecting. I felt like we were driving along at full speed and then Wunder put on the breaks. There was no warning (or at least very minimal warnings).

E: When you say it like that, it makes it seem like it was intentional but it came off a bit melodramatic to me. (Ugh. I’m heartless!)

M: Hmm. Maybe I’m not communicating how I feel very well because I completely agree with you. I am not a reader that cannot fill in the gaps for herself, but I just felt like there was information lacking because the turn of events was so sudden.

E: Yes. You are so right. I felt like that happened quite a few times. Too many almost. Unresolved stuff? Like things with Lily?

M: OH, gosh, YES! I don’t know. I feel like because of those times, I lost a lot of love I might have otherwise had for the book. (Not to say I didn’t like it, but I felt very conflicted when choosing my Goodreads rating on this book.)

E: I had the same problem. I really liked the personalities, I liked the writing style too, and the ideas that were there were very good and intriguing. It just didn’t reach the point I wanted it to. I’ve also been a crying manic with books lately, and I was surprised I didn’t feel more emotional until the very last couple of pages.

M: I kept expecting my heart to break or … to feel ALL THE THINGS throughout, but I just didn’t. One more question. How did you feel about the Flamingo lists? I, personally, wish they would have been eliminated from the book or wish she had found them after some of the check marks had been completed. I felt like these things seemed a bit contrived at times.

E: I didn’t love them very much either. It seemed like something they made up as kids, and maybe if they had been sort of rewritten together. That would have introduced another bond they had and more feelings? I’m not sure. I think that the events that happened, the ones related to the list would have happened no matter what, and maybe using the lists as a reference would have worked better. More of a “haha, we were SO clever” kind of thing instead of a guide.

M: Again, I definitely agree with you. There was a part at the end with Asher where I thought, “If this place existed, why wouldn’t they have visited it anyway? Why did they need the list to bring them there?” So any final thoughts? Skip it, borrow it, or own it?

E: Definitely borrow it. Sometimes I think we are so spoiled because we read so many books all the time, and some of them are winners and some aren’t. I definitely could see many people enjoying this book and really getting into it.

M: It’s a borrow kind of book for me as well. I think I’m also suffering from having read a lot of books about a family member dying this year (I am aware that it sounds like I have a death complex or something). I have been blown away by a few of them and this one just didn’t hit me in the same way.

E: It’s kind of interesting to think about what factors contribute to you latching onto a book so much. What’s going on in your life, what you read right before it, the time of year…

M: Brilliant point! I love that. I would really like to hear from other people who’ve read this book. Maybe some will disagree with us. (If you’ve read this, tell us how you felt about it in the comments below!)

E: Yes! Fight with us!!! Or actually. Maybe not.

In case you’re interested, here are a few more reviews of The Probability of Miracles, both from people who agree and disagree with us:

• Ginger at GReads! gave it five stars. | Review
• Khy at the Frenetic Reader says she thinks there was a “complete lack of emotional connection.” | Review
• Anna at Anna Reads thinks everyone will love it. | Review
• Kristi at the Story Siren called it incredible. | Review

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The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas 
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Pages: 351
Release Date: October 11, 2011
Target Audience: Young Adult
Format: Hardcover borrowed from Ginger at GReads!
How I heard about it: Originally, from James at Book Chic

Summary: Rose’s mother loses the battle to cancer, leaving her with a dad that’s resorted to drinking too much to cope with the pain and a brother who has to return to college. She finds a Survival Kit left behind by her mother for her, which leads her to meet Will who helps her work through the grief.

I’m not entirely sure where to start this review, other than to simply say that I LOVED THE SURVIVAL KIT. There were so many strengths. It was full of emotion and beautiful writing. There were scenes that took my breath away. Others left me gasping for air as I tried to fight back the tears. There is a scene with kites where I had to close the book for the night (even though it was much earlier than I wanted to stop reading) just to let the effects of it sink in – pure. beauty. Let me attempt to break down the many, many reasons I loved this book…

In a lot of young adult fiction, we see brokenness in the form of broken families. Rose’s family is floundering at the loss of her mom, and while her dad is dealing by drinking too much, at its core, The Survival Kit has amazing family values built into it. The flashbacks Rose would have of her mother, the way her brother and grandmother tried to intervene to make life easier, and even the way Rose took care of her father made me want to be a part of her family. I loved the support system.

It wasn’t just her family that was amazing; the support also came from a group of incredible friends. I have to admit there were times I fully expected things to be super cliche where things would just continue to get worse and worse. Rose abandons every remnant of her life before her mother’s death. Despite that she puts months of separation between herself and her friends, they are there ready to help her carry on. One of the most outstanding characters was Rose’s best friend, Krupa. That girl was a rock. I need a Krupa for when my life goes to crap. She could read Rose like the back of her hand and never once expected more than Rose was able to give. She was just there. All the time.

There’s a little bit of a love tango in the mix, too. I don’t want to spoil an ounce of this story for you so I’ll be vague. Chris is Rose’s boyfriend. Will is a hottie boy who lost his father and takes care of Rose’s gardens after her mother dies. You might be thinking love triangle, but let me stop you right there. No, no, no love triangle. Frietas handled the boy situation so perfectly. Every time I was cringing thinking some awkward situation was about to go down, I found myself exhaling with relief. Freitas gave Rose so much strength and maturity. I wanted to applaud Rose for how she handled so many situations. This girl is an awesome example for teenage girls today.

I could just go on and on with things I loved (and clearly I haven’t even mentioned the actual Survival Kit), but I might end up stumbling over my words in a rush to declare my love for this book. I wrote down a list of things I loved, so I’ll just stop and advise you to read this book right now. Oh, and of course, here’s my list if you need further convincing:

• Will was slow-going to get to know, but wow did I love this boy.
• Loved the hockey element. I don’t know a thing about hockey, but this book convinced me hockey should be more widely written about.
• Discovering what was included in Rose’s Survival Kit was awesome. Each thing was so unique and tailored specifically to her. I loved the role music played in this portion of the book, and how well her mother knew her to be able to create something so awesome.
• It’s a story about caring, the effects of death, loving and moving on after a death in the family, learning how to live, and also learning how to love.

If you don’t like to cry when you read, if you don’t like contemporary fiction, and even if this doesn’t sound like something you’d like – I beg of you that you’ll give The Survival Kit a chance anyway.

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One Night that Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 242
Published: July 6, 2010
Target Audience: Young Adult
Format: Hardcover borrowed from the library.
How I heard about it: It was on the return cart at my library.

Summary: For five years, Eliza has documented all of her fears – things she’s afraid of doing or saying, but wishes she had the courage to do. Her purple notebook goes missing and she begins getting mysterious texts from her ex-boyfriend’s exclusive group of friends, the 318s, that require her to act on some of her fears. If she refuses, her notebook and everything she’s recorded will be published on the internet.

Things I loved about this book:

• it’s fast paced and there’s never a dull moment
• there’s lots of drama and a few details about why Cooper and Eliza broke up that I had to piece together
• it made me think about my fears and what I’d have to act on if something like this happened to me

A few things I’d be nervous to do that Eliza is faced with – singing karaoke in front of a coffee shop full of people, telling one of her closest friends a secret that she’s kept for years, and walking up to a random boy in a club to ask him to dance. All of the things Eliza was forced to do really spoke to her character. She was someone who wasn’t popular and didn’t have a ton of self-confidence. I rooted for her because she was so much more that what she gave herself credit for. I saw how empowered Eliza would feel if she could make herself get past her nerves and conquer her fears.

BUT, don’t for one second think that I was okay with Eliza being blackmailed by all the 318s just because she’d realize how easy it was to do each task. I mean, how jerky could those guys get? I’ve read several books about mean girls who are terrible to other girls, but I’d never read a book about guys who were so cruel and demanding to a girl. Cooper, the ex-boyfriend, was someone I wanted to trust so badly, but I questioned his involvement with the 318s. There were times I wanted to scream at the pages he still LOVES you, Eliza! Give him a chance! and others where I felt like saying No! Don’t do it! Don’t trust him again!

You should definitely pick up this book if you’re looking for a quick and entertaining read. It was fun for me to put myself in Eliza’s shoes. A few of my fears I wouldn’t want to come face to face with…

• giving a speech in front of a packed room full of people
• confronting some of the mean girls I had to deal with in high school

If you kept a notebook of fears, what would you write in it?

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Today we are diving into our second BOOK REPORT, a feature that we share every month. We both read the same book, chat about it, and post it here. With minor spoilers, we introduce one of our favorite authors and books…

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Release Date: September 29, 2011
Pages: 338
Target Audience: Young Adult
Format: Kindle download for Magan; Nook download for Estelle.
How we found out about it: We’re both huge (HUGE) fans of Stephanie Perkins; we pre-ordered Lola after finishing Anna and the French Kiss.
Summary: Lola’s life couldn’t be any better. She’s dating hot musician Max. (Who cares if her Dads don’t like him and make her check in every hour on the hour?) She’s planning on making an entrance in a self-made Marie Antoinette dress at Homecoming. Until one day, her old neighbor, Cricket Bell, moves back into the house next door with his family. She can’t help but remember what happened between the two of them, but is she sure she has moved on. Or has she?

Magan: So, our second Book Report – all bout Lola and the Boy Next Door!  And our favorite author, Stephanie Perkins! I swear, I. LOVE. HER.

Estelle: I absolutely love her too. I really think she opened me up to contemporary YA.  Before that I was always looking for YA books from when I was a kid.

Thank you for joining us for our BOOK REPORT on Lola and the Boy Next Door. We hope you’ll share your thoughts with us below. Who are you – Anna or Lola? If you haven’t read this book yet (gasp!) you should add it to your list!

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