The Unwanteds

Title: The Unwanteds
Author: Lisa McMann
Level: 8-12
Location: J McMann L.

The Kirkus Reviews blurb on the cover of The Unwanteds is,” The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter.” I would say it’s mostly Harry Potter as the leader of the country creates a dystopian world, but outside of their country the rest of the world is still functioning the same as always. In Quill thirteen year olds attend the annual Purge where the high priest Justine classifies them as wanteds, who attend university, necessaries who become the laborers, or unwanteds, who are shackled and put on a waiting bus for the ride to their deaths. The unwanteds are shocked when upon reaching the Death Farm and being turned over to the eliminators the entire area changes. They are welcomed to Artime by Mr. Today, an amazing wizard, who tells them they were unwanted because they are creative and imaginative which someone reported to the government when they displayed it. The government finds creative thinkers to be a weakness. In Artime the unwanteds have a chance to nurture and develop their creative skills as they also learn to fight with magic. They all know if they are ever discovered Quill will do it’s best to kill them so they can never contact their families. But what if you had a twin who made it through the Purge and was still in Quill? What would you do?

I thought The Unwanteds was a thoroughly imaginative story with characters that grew as the story progressed. I couldn’t help but feel for the teens as they tried to get past the betrayals that brought them to Artime and those that occur later. The family relationships will make you wince and silently cheer. Mr. Today was superb. He is the kind of teacher and leader we would all like to have in our lives. The magic is amazing.

Bottom Line: The Unwanteds has more magic than you can wave a wand at. You may wish you could perform some of the fantastic imaginative spells. Mr. Today is perfect as the wizard who gently leads the thirteen year olds on their journey of learning their creative crafts and reconciling their feelings for the families who let them go so easily. Join the world of Artime with the teens who thought they were going to their death and instead found a creative paradise. The Unwanteds will keep you enchanted.

The Memory Bank

Title: The Memory Bank

Author: Carolyn Coman, Rob Shepperson (Illustrator)
Reading Level: 8 to 12
Location: J Coman

The Memory Bank is the story of Hope Scroggins, who lives with her beloved sister Honey and the Dursley-esque parents they share. In fact these parents are SO horribly awful that one day, when the sisters disobey the rule against "no laughing", they banish Honey forever, telling Hope that she must simply "forget" her.


Hope knows that she HAS to find her sister again, before her memories of Honey fade. But before she can even begin to look, she's whisked away to the World Wide Memory Bank, where her accounts are in disarray...

There she learns about the process of how dreams and memories are kept safe. She also learns that there's a group of misfits called the Clean Slate Gang who want to destroy the Memory Bank, and all of the dreams and memories kept there. What she doesn't know is that Honey has been picked up by the Clean Slate Gang, and they're heading right for the Memory Bank.

The story of how Hope makes her way through this brewing conflict and rescues her little sister is full of tension and suspense, set in a vividly imagined world of strange machines and wonderful characters.


Bottomline:
I had a love/hate relationship with this book. I loved the main character, Hope, as she searches for her abandoned sister, Hunny, and her adventures in the Memory Bank. I hated the horrible parents who just don't care about their children and abandon Hunny because she was laughing too much? Why are author's writing about these horrible, neglectful, apathetic parents? What's the purpose? Anyway, this book had great illustrations that augmented the story. What I didn't understand was the extra storyline of the misfit children trying to sabotage the Memory Bank with lollipops? And the ending was a bit ambiguous. Anyway, overall it was a cute book!

White Cat (Curse Workers series, Book 1)

Title: White Cat (Curse Workers series, Book 1)
Author: Holly Black
Location: YA Black

This is the first installment in Holly Black’s Curse Workers series. Curse workers have special powers. They can change your luck, memories, feelings, dreams and more with just a touch. And since curse work is illegal they are all con artists or part of mob families.

Our main character is Cassell Sharpe, a high school student at a private school in the east. Several years ago Cassel killed his best friend, Lila, the daughter of a powerful mob family. The strange thing is, he doesn’t remember why, but he knows he did. Fast forward to the present and Cassel finds himself sleepwalking and he wakes up on the roof of his dorm, an instant You Tube sensation. The school promptly suspends him and he moves back to live in his family home. While at home he encounters a white cat hanging around the barn, the same cat that has recently been showing up in his dreams.

As we meet the other members of Cassell’s family, he tries to explain why he killed his best friend, why he doesn’t remember and why this white cat keeps showing up.

Bottom Line
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I listened to the audio version and found Jesse Eisenberg’s (Social Network) narration to be spot on. Although some books are very clearly aimed at a YA audience, this story deals with themes that all ages can appreciate; family, jealousy, love and mystery. There are twists and turns in the plot that I didn’t expect. I highly recommend that you read White Cat by Holly Black. Check out the first chapter on the author’s web site www.hollyblack.com .

Title: Wrapped
Author: Jennifer Bradbury
Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Bradbury (when it comes in)

As a young socialite in 1817 London, Agnes Wilkins’ life is full of parties, balls and other social gatherings all designed to find her a husband so she can settle down in matrimonial bliss. While Agnes understands her social position, her adventurous spirit is certainly not ready for all the restrictions that come with wife and motherhood. While at a party thrown by one of her suitors, Lord Showalter, Agnes takes part in the unwrapping of an Egyptian mummy and unwittingly falls into a treasonous conspiracy and an ancient curse. Now, with the help of a cute, intelligent British Museum employee, Caedmon, she must unravel a mystery, avert the curse and save the British Empire in the process. Not too bad for a proper English girl!

I thought this book was a lot of fun from beginning to end. Agnes is a remarkably intelligent, fun heroine. I was rooting for her the whole time. I figured out the mystery pretty early on in the story, but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment in seeing it all play out. The romance was sweet if not predictable and rounded out the story nicely. I particularly loved the ending of this one. The author made some great choices for her heroine that was entirely fitting with her character. Even though the book had a clear, satisfying ending, I suspect we will see more books starring Agnes in the future. I will be looking forward to it!

The Bottom Line: Wrapped was an inventive, fun story with a lot of action, intrigue and a little romance. Even though this is a teen book, it has no objectionable material and would be an ideal novel for tweens and young teens who are just starting to read young adult novels. Give it to girls who enjoy books with strong heroines, adventure and romance, particularly those who like a regency or Victorian setting.

Wishful Thinking

Title: Wishful Thinking
Author: Alexandra Bullen
Level: YA
Location: The library does not currently own a copy. This book was given out at a conference and was to be published in 2011.

Hazel has a pretty dreary life. She was adopted as an infant, her Mom passed away when she was young, she's lived in foster homes ,and she now lives with a man, Roy, who's relationship to her is unclear other than he loved her Mom. It seems taking pictures with an old camera that belonged to her Mom is the only thing that gives her any happiness. Then on her eighteenth birthday Roy hands her an envelope with her birth certificate inside.

After researching her mother's name Hazel discovers she will be at an event only four bus rides away. Determined to met her mother, she takes the one dress she owns to a seamstress whose card was inside it to have a seam fixed, only to have the person in the store tell her they are closed. On her way out the dress falls out of her bag and catches the seamstress' eye. After a few questions she agrees to take the dress and tells Hazel to come back in two hours. Hazel realizes when changing in the ferry station that the dress is different, but it looks so good on her she doesn't care and is off.

So how would you feel to finally be meeting your real mother, in a great dress and looking better than you ever have, and realize that you are at her wake? Hazel scrambles out of the restaurant as fast as she can and walks onto a ferry in a daze. She's thinking life is unfair and she wishes she had gotten to know her mother first. Exhausted from all the emotion Hazel lays her head down on her arms. When she awakens things don't look right. She doesn't even recognize the ferry she is on! In the dress bag she finds a note that explains her dress had the power to grant a wish. Hazel is now in a place where her mother was before Hazel was even born. She has her chance to get to know her mother.

I found taking Hazel's journey of gaining confidence, finding her real mother, helping her and making some tough choices very enjoyable.



Bottom Line: In Wishful thinking Hazel's character ( She's the main character.) develops through out the story. The story has great secondary characters. I wasn't sure about Wishful Thinking when I picked it up, but I found it wasn't predictable and enjoyed the characters development. The ending brings it all together nicely even if it isn't the one some reader's will expect.

Hunger

Title: Hunger
Author: Jackie Morse Kessler
Reading Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Kessler (once it comes in)

Lisabeth Lewis is having a tough few weeks. She refuses to speak to her best friend after they had a big fight over Lisabeth's supposed eating disorder. Her boyfriend is going to eventually leave her because she is getting so fat. Then some guy shows up at her door and drops off a package with old fashioned scales and the message "Thou art famine!" Now Lisa has a black steed to ride around the world and a new job as one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Lisa loves the freedom of her new job, but will she be able to inflict the pain of hunger on others as easily as she does herself?

After reading the plot summary for Hunger, I was not very interested in reading it. I love fantasy, but this just sounded absurd. I am so glad that I took the time to read this amazing, short novel! Lisa's voice is so genuine as a teen who is intelligent and witty but suffering from an eating disorder. At times her narration had me smiling, and other moments I found myself crying for her. The secondary characters, like the boyfriend and the best friend, played small roles in the book and existed primarily to highlight Lisa's internal problems. The only other character I found extremely intriquing was Death; hopefully we will hear more from him in later books. The fantasy element is obviously quite prevalent in this novel and utterly enjoyable, but I felt that the realistic portrayal of a girl suffering from anorexia made this book memorable for me. I appluad the author for this extremely inventive mash-up of fantasy and realism and I can't wait for her next book, due out next year.

The Bottom Line: Hunger was a terrific, short read that tackles a difficult subject with an inventive fantasy plotline. Even though there will be more books about the other horsemen, this is a stand-alone novel. No cliffhangers! If you enjoy fantasy or quick reads you should definitely pick this one up. Fans of realistic fiction who don't mind a little fantasy should give this one a try as well.

The publisher provided me with an advanced reader's copy of the book for this review. Hunger has an expected release date of October 18, 2010. The library should have a copy as quickly as possible.

Immortal Beloved

Title: Immortal Beloved
Author: Cate Tiernan
Location: YA Tiernan
Reading Level: Young Adult

Nastaysa (Nasty for short), an immortal human, has been content with drowning her past and memories in parties, drugs and alcohol for hundreds of years. She has never cared about those she hurts by her actions, even when her choices lead to the death of innocent people. Until one night, she watches as her best friend Incy, another immortal, mercilessly breaks the spine of a London cabbie, causing Nasty to reevaluate her own actions. Nasty flees London and her current friends for America and a rehab house for disillusioned immortals. At first Nasty has a tough time adjusting to their organic farm, green way of living, and endless chores. It doesn't help that the gorgeous "viking god," Reyn, inexplicably treats her with barely veiled contempt every time he interacts with her. But as she begins to adapt to her situation, memories that were seemingly crushed forever start coming to the surface forcing her to deal with her painful past. Will Nasty be able to confront her issues and become a functioning member of the house? Can she discover the cause of Reyn's disdain for her?

I think this was a great first book with an engaging main character to start out a new trilogy. Nasty's authentic voice with its sarcastic wit and jaded sensibility is perfect for an indifferent immortal who has lived through too many lifetimes of pain and disappointment. The multiple flashbacks to her past kept the story from dragging and added interest to Nasty as a character. She is certainly not perfect but is still a very sympathetic, relatable female character so I was cheering for her the whole time. My only complaint with this novel was the romance aspect. Reyn is quite mean to her and treats her pretty badly throughout much of the book. The only thing that made her attraction to him bearable, in my mind, is that she acknowledges the inexplicable nature of her feelings for him. However, I do feel that the author will explore their relationship in future installments so I think the romance will really improve. Other than his actions toward Nasty, Reyn has potential to be an intriguing character so I'm hoping the author will do a little more with him in the next book. I also thought the magick aspect of the immortals was imaginative and well done. Even though we did not get to see much of it in this first book, I feel like it will take center stage in the next two books.

The Bottom Line: Immortal Beloved was a great first book in the Cloth trilogy. Nastaysa is an awesome character. Even though some aspects of this book, like the romance, and magick could have been fleshed out more, it was still an interesting story. Bonus... it doesn't end on a cliffhanger! If you enjoy fantasy, fantasy/romance or historical fantasy, you should like this book.

Mockingjay

Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Reading Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Collins

This review contains no spoilers for Mockingjay but may contain details from the two previous books in the Hunger Games series. If you have not yet read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, skip ahead to The Bottom Line.

Mockingjay picks up about one month after the events of Catching Fire. With her home destroyed, Katniss resides in District 13 with the few refugees that survived the Capitol's bombing of District 12. President Coin and the rest of the leaders of District 13 are managing the rebellion and need Katniss to be their Mockingjay, the symbol and hope of the rebellion. Unfortunately, the physical and emotional damage Katniss suffered in the arena coupled with her guilt over the fate of Peeta has left her emotionally unstable and unwilling to be used as a pawn for yet another cause, however noble. As the rebellion takes hold in more districts and her fellow citizens fight and die brutal deaths in massive numbers, will Katniss give them the strength they need to continue their struggle? Or will she retreat from the spotlight, unwilling to be the cause of more death and destruction?

I find it difficult to discuss this book, not only for fear of giving away any of the major spoilers, but also because reading this book was so emotionally draining. While the first two books set up the country of Panem, its controlling government and the brutality of the games, Mockingjay introduces the reader to the horrors of war and the atrocities both sides, of any war, are willing to commit. Make no mistake, the blood runs freely in Mockingjay. Even the characters that are spared remain forever altered by the experience. The book has a lot of action and many characters die making it impossible to put down but difficult to read at times.

I've heard a few complaints about Katniss in this book but I thought her character was written perfectly. I got frustrated with her at times, but her actions are consistent and understandable in the face of all the ruthless brutality she encounters. The other characters, both from the first two books, and the new ones introduced in this installment, added a lot of interest to the story. I enjoyed seeing how their stories all played out, even if I was upset about some of their fates. I particularly loved getting a different perspective on Finnick and Prim; I just fell in love with both of them in this book.

The Bottom Line: This was a great ending to a unique and amazing series! Even though Mockingjay was extremely bloody and depressingly sad it was a magnificent ending to the series. I think fans will love it! If you have not yet read the Hunger Games trilogy, it is truly one of the best for both teens and adults, so give it a try!

Beautiful Creatures

Title: Beautiful Creatures

Author: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Reading Level: Young Adult

Location: YA Garcia

“There were no surprises in Gatlin County. We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere. At least, that’s what I thought. Turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong. There was a curse. There was a girl. And in the end, there was a grave.”

Ethan Wate lives in a small, old southern town in South Carolina where nothing much happens and everything is always the same. As a member of one of the older families in town, he is treated well, gets decent grades and is quickly becoming one of the stars on the basketball team. However, since the death of his mother, none of this matters. He can’t wait to leave Gatlin and its antiquated ways behind. That was before he met Lena Duchannes. As the niece of the town recluse, Lena is anything but welcome in Gatlin. Although Ethan knows he should avoid befriending this social pariah, he can’t seem to leave her alone. It doesn’t help that she was making appearances in his dreams long before they ever met. As Ethan gets closer to Lena, he learns her haunting family history, and the reason she dreads her upcoming 16th birthday. Lena’s very being depends on them learning the secrets of an old artifact which played a central role in the beginning and horrific end of a love story that would forever alter generations of Lena’s family.

It took me awhile to write this review because I loved the book so much. The authors do a wonderful job of realistically portraying the small, southern town of Gatlin. They expertly describe the scenery, sounds and people of this place so much so that the reader feels like everything in the book could possibly exist. I enjoyed Ethan as the narrator throughout the book. Many fantasy novels, especially ones that include love stories, have female narrators, so I though Ethan was a nice change of pace. The love story between Ethan and Lena develops very well, but I never felt as though it was the main focus of the plot. In my personal opinion, the real driving force for the plot lies in Lena, her intriguing family members (like creepy Uncle Macon and Boo) and their history. They kept the book moving for me and the relationship between Ethan and Lena was more of a pleasant side effect. I wish it would have wrapped up a little better, but it does not leave you with a cliffhanger. I don’t want to give anything away, but Beautiful Creatures was a wonderfully crafted story with interesting characters and the perfect setting. Don’t miss it!

The Bottom Line: It’s obvious that I loved this one! It is not my favorite of 2009, but it is certainly up there. Read it for the hauntingly, mysterious storyline and the realistic, not-too-sweet love story. This is the first in a planned 5 book series. I assume the next will be released around December 2010.

Blood Promise

Title: Blood Promise (Vampire Academy, Book 4)
Author: Richelle Mead
Location: YA Mead
Reading Level: Young Adult

This review vaguely discusses the plot points of the 3 previous Vampire Academy books. If you have not yet read Vampire Academy, Frostbite, and Shadow Kiss, skip ahead and read the bottom line.

When Blood Promise begins, Rose is in Russia trying to locate Dimitri and killing any Strigoi that wander across her path. She knows she needs to carry out the promise she made to Dimitri, but is still emotionally reeling from the events in the last book. Meanwhile, Lissa is back at the Academy with Adrian attempting to master more facets of her spirit powers. She misses Rose terribly but manages to make a friend in the new headmaster’s enigmatic daughter, Avery. Under Avery’s influence, Lissa’s powers become darker and on the other side of the ocean, Rose encounters one of the hardest personal struggles she will ever face. Will Rose find the strength to fulfill her promise to Dimitri? Will Lissa face the darkness that slowly envelopes her?

One of the fears in reading such a long series (a reported 6 books!) is that the middle books will function primarily as filler for the meatier content to come at the end of the series. Therefore, I am thrilled to report that this 4th book in the Vampire Academy series contains the same amount of fresh content, exhilarating action, and emotional turmoil that readers have come to expect from this series. Richelle Mead introduces a few new characters in this book which help the story feel crisp and exciting, as does Rose’s journey in Russia, a place where she knows little of the language and culture.

I find it very difficult to talk about the plot of this book without giving anything away. I will say that I found Mead’s writing impressive in this installment simply because she makes Rose’s emotions so palpable. The reader really feels Rose’s insecurity about her identity and place in the world as well as her anguish over the task to which she is committed. I did not feel as invested in Lissa’s problems but that part of the story still worked very well. Without revealing too much, I think Vampire Academy fans will be extremely pleased with this book, there is sadness, but also a fraction of hope to carry through to the next installment.

The Bottom Line: If you have not read this series, start reading Vampire Academy now! I truly enjoyed the emotional, exciting and hopeful journey that Blood Promise delivered. My favorite of the series by far will have fans impatient for the next installment. The next book, Spirit Bound, has a reported release of May 18, 2010.

Catching Fire

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Reading Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Collins

This review discusses some of the major plot points of the first Hunger Games book. If you have not yet read The Hunger Games, skip ahead to the bottom line.

Katniss and Peeta return home from the terrors of the Hunger Games with the Capitol upset about the “act of rebellion” that allowed them to both escape with their lives. When Katniss effectively ended the Hunger Games with the deadly berries she did not expect her rash decision in the arena to inspire uprisings in the districts. However, when she embarks on the victory tour with Peeta they see the tension and unrest on the faces of those that come to applaud their success. Katniss herself has trouble discerning her own reasoning behind her actions on that day. Did she do it because she loves Peeta or does she really love Gale? Was it in defiance of the Capitol? All Katniss knows is that she must convince her fellow citizens that she never intended to defy the Capitol or her life, and the lives of her family and friends, will come to a gruesome end.

I don’t want to give anything away about the storyline of this amazing sequel. My brief summary only encompasses about the first thirty pages of the book. After that, the action really picks up and there are some truly surprising plot twists. I continue to love the character of Katniss. She is a mentally and physically strong, intelligent young woman but she continues to be inexperienced in dealing with her emotions, especially when it concerns her romantic preference. I definitely think fans of the series will be separating into Team Peeta and Team Gale after this sequel. The story was exhilarating and well crafted. Suzanne Collins continues to build on the world of Panem making it even more intriguing than in the first installment. The only drawback to this book is its spectacular cliffhanger ending which leaves the fans in agony for another year. The next book should be another action-packed, suspenseful, but potentially heartbreaking journey.

The Bottom Line: Catching Fire was a wonderful sequel to the critically acclaimed Hunger Games. It is intriguing, suspenseful, and action-packed with a little romance sprinkled in for good measure. Fans will not be disappointed with this sequel and will be clamoring for the next book due out next year. Team Peeta all the way!

City of Glass

Title: City of Glass
Author: Cassandra Clare
Reading Level: YA
Location: YA Clare

This review discusses major plot points from the first two Mortal Instrument books. If you have not yet read City of Bones and City of Ashes, skip ahead to the bottom line.

This third and final installment of the Mortal Instruments trilogy opens with all the Shadowhunters returning to Idris to face an inevitable battle with Valentine. Even though Jace disapproves of Clary going along, she wants to meet up with a warlock who has the power to cure her comatose mother. Upon arriving they realize that Valentine’s attack is indeed imminent and his spies have ears all over Idris. While the Clave argues over himself and the final Mortal Instrument, Valentine prepares a deadly and devastating attack to begin a final war. Everyone who has not yet died in the last two books returns with a few new faces to attempt to thwart Valentine’s selfish plan to acquire the final mortal instrument and desecrate the race of shadowhunters.

Although I enjoyed the previous two books, City of Glass exceeded all my expectations for this trilogy. I enjoyed the change of scenery to Idris and the author does a good job describing this fantastical country and the city of Allicante. Many of the main characters become even more compelling as the author makes them more complicated in this final book. I have always considered Jace to be a deep, multi-layered character, but the author really delves into some of the other character’s feelings and motivations which make the book all the more satisfying. I also loved the deepening relationship between Alec and Magnus. The author succeeds in making their relationship intricate and genuine, instead of using them as the token gay couple. In the end, I love how all the story threads wrapped up in this book, it was truly an enthralling, action-packed conclusion to a very imaginative trilogy.

The Bottom Line: City of Glass was a great ending to the Mortal Instruments trilogy. The author does not shy away from violence, but it is not overdone. Amidst all the action, the characters deepen and the story becomes more intricate resulting in an exciting, satisfying conclusion.

Frozen Fire

Title: Frozen Fire
Author: Tim Bowler
Location: YA Bowler
Reading Level: Young Adult

Late on New Year’s Eve 15-year old, Dusty receives a call from a strange boy. He claims he is dying, but he seems to know things about her brother, who disappeared two years ago. Desperate to hear news of her brother and his fate, Dusty goes out to look for the mysterious boy. However, other people are searching for the boy as well and their motives have more to do with revenge than intrigue.
Frozen Fire is a powerful psychological thriller. Just as Dusty feels cold and isolated from her life since the disappearance of her brother, so too does the reader when immersed in this wintery English landscape with possible enemies around every snow covered bend. Considering Bowler dumps the reader in Dusty’s life in the middle of a crisis, instead of at the beginning, he is very effective at immediately convincing the reader to care about this girl. The mystery surrounding the boy that eventually envelopes Dusty’s small town drives the plot forward. Dusty is unsure of whether to treat him as dangerous, like the rest of her town, or trust him as the only one who might be able to lead her to her brother.

The Bottom Line: I enjoyed this book but I would not recommend it to everyone. One major plot line in the book is tied up neatly, but the other is left open which may frustrate many readers. Teens who love a good supernatural mystery, should like this book but, due to the ending, it lacks broad teen appeal.

Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Title: Untamed: A House of Night Novel
Author: P.C. and Kristin Cast
Location: YA Cast
Reading Level: Young Adult

This 4th House of Night novel begins just minutes after Chosen left off, Zoey’s friends are ticked at her and her best friend is a possibly evil, undead dead vampire. Things begin to get much worse once Zoey’s figures out Neferet’s secret weapon in her malicious war on humans. Zoey must reunite with her friends and gain new allies if she hopes to counter the rising evil in this intense, exciting installment from P.C. and Kristin Cast.
The writing is not stellar in this series, but fans read it for the exhilarating storyline and appealing characters. Zoey’s confidence continues to grow as she embraces her role as a leader. All of her awesome friends return in this book as well as some new intriguing characters. Fans will particularly appreciate the climactic ending, but they might have to re-read it to absorb it all.

The Bottom Line: Fans will love this book! I loved this book! It is by far, the best yet in the House of Night series. New fans will want to start with the first book, Marked, before sinking their teeth into this one.

The God Box by Alex Sanchez

Title: The God Box
Author: Alex Sanchez
Location: YA Sanchez
Reading Level: Young Adult

Paul is not gay! He prays every night for God to take away the attraction he feels for guys and transfer it to his long-time girlfriend Angie. So far, Paul has done a pretty good job keeping his feelings in check, but then he meets Manuel. When openly gay Manuel comes on the scene, he challenges everything in which Paul and his conservative high school believe. Will Paul decide to suppress his feelings for Manuel and live the Christian lifestyle? Or can he choose to be both gay and Christian?
Alex Sanchez has written a thought-provoking story that demonstrates the struggles of gay religious teens. Paul is a likable character and the reader will cheer for him to find peace with his issues and learn to love himself. I think this is a wonderful book for all teens, but particularly for gay and straight religious teens who would find Sanchez’s reconciliation of sexual identity and religiosity encouraging.

The Bottom Line: I loved this book. It was a quick read with relatable characters. It presents well researched, intriguing arguments against the Christian position on homosexuality.