the nature of jade by Deb Caletti is the story of a 17 year-old over achiever. Jade has suffered for several years from Panic Disorder. Watching webcams of the local zoo’s animals, especially the elephants are calming for her. On successive afternoons she watches a boy not much older than herself appear at the elephant section with an infant. Jade becomes a volunteer at the zoo; meets Sebastian and her life changes.

Good read. Interesting were the insights into animal behavior. I liked the way the plot developed – inspiring Jade to find a real truth. Deb Caletti has other fine books out as well. Visit her website. See what other Deb Caletti books we have here at the library.

All we know of heaven by Jacquelyn Mitchard is about best friends involved in a horrendous auto accident involving a Toyota and a truck on an icy road. One of the teenagers survives.

Because of their condition, Maureen is mistaken for Bridget – they are very similar in physical stature. Family and friends prepare for the situation, Burial services are held for Maureen. Then when positive identification is made, all sorts of emotions come into play. Seeing the characters readapting to the change of circumstances was gripping. I was right there for Maureen to make it through her physical, emotional, and interpersonal travails. The author states in her acknowledgements that “Although at least two separate and heart-wrenching cases of mistaken identity after a motor vehicle accident have really happened over the past decade, there is no intentional similarity to the experiences of any actual family or individual.” That said, you would be hard pressed to say that this story sounded fabricated in any way.

the dead & the gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer is a companion piece to Life As We Knew It. The premise of both is that an asteroid has thrown the moon into an orbit closer to the Earth.

In the dead & the gone, the main focus is on a devoutly Catholic Puerto Rican Family in New York City. Seventeen year old Alex takes on the responsibility of two siblings.

I thought it was very well played out – The characters run through a gamut of honest emotions trying to deal with the life changing world events. I liked how the characters struggled with rules and order to keep living. Father Mulrooney’s words of, “As the world collapses around us, it is learning and culture that will prevent us from becoming barbarians.” At another point in the story Father Mulrooney points out, “These are the worst of times…rules are needed even more now. Without them there is anarchy.” Great stuff, and another perspective about life after the asteroid hits.

this lullaby by Sarah Dessen

Jenn's Pick!

I've been meaning to read something by Sarah Dessen for awhile now, since her books are a) never on the shelf and b) always have pretty covers. When I saw a copy of "this lullaby" on the Friends of the Library Book Sale shelves, I figured that was as clear a sign as I was going to get. I liked this lullaby a lot. I liked cranky Remy, who was so busy planning her mother's fifth wedding and breaking up with the latest in a long string of boyfriends that she had no time or interest when goofy Dexter walked up to her and announced they had chemistry. I liked how Remy was always Remy, how she didn't end up getting gushy, how she was mad at herself for buying Dexter silverware. I liked her girlfriends, and how she tells Perfect Paul (another boyfriend) that no, there's no way they can hang out on Girl's Night, that only losers ditch their girl friends for a guy on Girls Night. All in all, I'll read more of Sarah Dessen. Which should I read next? Suggestions as comments greatly appreciated.

The Host, by Stephenie Meyer

Jenn's Pick!

Stephenie Meyer's first Adult novel is a good snack in between the courses of the gigantic meal that is the Twilight Saga--something to tide us all over. Stephanie's calling this story "sci-fi for people who don't like sci-fi." We tested that at the library, giving it to Diane, who really, really, *really* doesn't like sci-fi. And she liked this!

The general idea is that a bunch of aliens, called Souls, have invaded Earth and taken up residence inside human beings. Aside from the fact that the human's consciousnesses (if that's a word) have been consumed, things are pretty good. There's no more violence, people don't need money, and though it's not mentioned specifically, I'm sure the Souls took care of the global warming situation too. The story centers on a Soul named Wanderer, who's a bit of a legend among her people, known for her extensive travels and lives on different planets. She takes up residence in the body of a woman named Melanie. Things get interesting when Melanie doesn't just fade away like she's supposed to do. She's there with Wanderer, and she tries to gain her sympathies by sharing stories of her brother Jamie and her boyfriend Jared.

Definitely worth a read, though this one is a bit of a slow starter. By page 300, though, you'll have that familiar Stephenie Meyer "what was my life like before this book?" feeling.

We've got this title on audio if you prefer, or you'll find this in the new book section upstairs (since it's an adult title.) If you haven't had a chance to check out our new Bestseller Collection, now's the time, since we have an additional copy of The Host there as well. The Bestseller Collection is with the New Books, and it's full of titles that are in high demand. They circulate for one week, and you can't put them on hold, so you just have to see what's in stock when you get here.