Second Impact by David and Perri Klass

Second Impact is a YA sports fiction book written by a brother and sister exposing the dangers of football and head injuries. The city of Kendall is obsessed with football. For Jerry Downing, that is great news since he is the quarterback of the high school. After a car accident, he was barely given a second chance. Carla Jenson is a former soccer star and the lead reporter of the sports section of their newspaper. She recently recruited Jerry to co-author a blog about the current football season from their perspectives.

When Jerry's best friend gets tackled too hard and gets hurt, Carla starts to research about head injuries, and questions whether the injuries are worth playing. But in a town fixated on football and a mean principal, not everyone wants to hear this news, and Jerry and Carla find themselves in deep waters.

Unlike David Klass' Losers Take All, this is a serious book about head injuries and dangers of football. I loved this book and would gladly read it again! Second Impact is told through alternating blog posts that Carla and Jerry write, something I have not seen before. The format caused there to be quite a few tangents, but I did not mind.

Carla is strong and brave. She stood up for what is right and was not afraid to speak her mind on the issues. She was a soccer player, but stopped because of an injury, and she learned that sometimes injuries can be more serious than the coach tells you. Jerry is passionate, hard working, and honest. The two of them tell a great story.

A lot of information was told through this book and it is very educational about concussions and other brain injuries as well as surgeries. This book is not just about football, it's also about journalism and ethics. Freedom of the press came up a lot, and right to privacy. If somebody exposed a real issue and a huge problem, does it really matter that they broke a law to get it?

The ending was amazing, and really shows the main idea- a player's health is more important than the game. Second Impact teaches about teamwork, safety, and responsibility.

I highly recommend that you read this great book!

David Klass is also the author of the hilarious Losers Take All! Read my review of Losers Take All!

Title: Second Impact
Author: David Klass, Perri Klass
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Pages: 288
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads

Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

Because You'll Never Meet Me is a mix of realistic fiction and science fiction. This YA book has a sequel. Ollie has a deadly allergy to electricity. At least, that's how he explains it. Basically Ollie and electricity do not agree. If Ollie gets anywhere near the cable line at the end of his driveway, he is thrown backwards. That means no cell phones, no music, no cars, and no television. Exposure to these things causes him to have excruciating seizures. So he lives out in the woods in the middle of nowhere. The closest neighbor is a mile away.

Moritz was born without eyes. He has the space for them, but there are no eyeballs in the sockets. Because of no sight, his ears adjusted and he can use echolocation to "see" anything. Of course he can't explain this, and he has to wear thick goggles around where his eyes should be because the sight of no eyeballs is quite disturbing. He also has an electric pacemaker for his heart. Ollie and Moritz can never meet due to Moritz's pacemaker, but they both are lonely and disconnected from the world. Told through an exchange of letters, this book tells about the friendship that formed and saved their lives. 

I have definitely read my fair share of sci-fi books, but I have never read anything about somebody who has no eyes. I have also not read much about echolocation. I was really intrigued!  Fitting in and going to school is really hard for him. He can't just walk in and say "I have no eyeballs and I use echolocation." There are some things you really just can't explain, unfortunately for him. 

If you met Ollie in real life, you would probably ask him how many cups of coffee he had that morning. The characters' voices are almost opposites. Ollie is energetic and childish while Moritz is mature, dark and condescending. I like the contrast between them. I liked the mystery of figuring out how they ended up with their abnormalities, and their secret connection. The book is written so well that half the time I forgot I was reading letters! Books about male friendships are not common, and I liked the direction Because You'll Never Meet Me took. 

While I would not say that this book is inspirational, it does teach about making the best with what you have, and does show the value of friendship. Having someone to talk to benefited these boys and opened up their worlds. 

I highly recommend that you read this book, and I cannot wait to read the sequel, Nowhere Near You! 

Title: Because You'll Never Meet Me

Author: Leah Thomas

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books

Pages: 344

Series: Yes, Book 1 of 2

Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads

Champions: Amid Ember's Betrayal (The Champions Book 2) by Charlotte Jain

Champions: Amid Ember's Betrayal was sent to me by the author, and is the second book in a YA Greek mythology series about a modern twist on the famous Olympian and Titan war. For decades, the Olympian Greek Gods have fought the Titans. Desperate to just stop the fighting, the Gods come up with the Champion Solution. Four mortals would be given control of one of the elements, and fight the war for them. With control of fire and water, April and Kyle were raised from birth by the immortals.

After a major twist was revealed, the line between friend and foe is thin. The four Champions are divided and conflicted. To add on to the new circumstances, everyone is getting impatient for the war to finally end, and two powerful immortals come to Caria, set on destroying the Champions and taking control for themselves. The Champions must figure out how to work together again before their town is destroyed, and finally end the war. 

It is hard to pinpoint exactly why I loved this book, but I just know that I do! Everything flowed together nicely, and I could not stop reading it! The writing is amazing, and if it was turned in for a grade in school, the teacher would give it a perfect score.

The pressure on the characters to finally end the war forced them to a breaking point, and I greatly enjoyed the action towards the end! April's bravery and strength tripled in the second book, and readers saw more of her powerful side in this book, rather than being more vulnerable in the first. I love the characters, but I know that somebody has to die. I really hope it's not going to be who I think it will be, given which side wins in Greek mythology.

The ending was satisfying, and I am excited to read the next book, Champions: Under Fractured Brilliance. 
 

Read my review of the first book in this series, Champions: At Fire's End

Title: Champions: Amid Ember's Betrayal
Author: Charlotte Jain
Publisher: Charlotte Jain
Pages: 350
Series: Yes, Book 2
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads 

Celebrating Two Years of Blogging: My Favorite Books

In the past two years since I started blogging, I have read and reviewed over 150 books! I thought this would be a great opportunity to look back on my reviews and share my favorite YA and middle grade books.  See my first review from exactly two years ago, The Running Dream. It is hard to rank my favorite books, so this list is mostly in order of favorites.

One of my favorite parts of blogging these past two years has been getting the amazing opportunity to receive several books from authors and publishers to review. I can't wait to see what new and exciting books I receive in the coming years!
 

1. Keeper of the Lost Cities Series by Shannon Messenger

This middle grade fantasy series is my all-time favorite series! The covers of all the books are amazing and the books are addicting. They are my favorite to read over and over again!

 

2.  Stronger Than You Know by Jolene Perry

This is extremely inspirational, and I love the character development and internal conflict. Joy showcases strength and is an amazing example of how experiences shape who you are.

3. Losers Take All by David Klass
The concept of this realistic fiction book was hilarious, and is the funniest book I have ever read! Everyone can laugh out loud while watching the characters purposely lose.

4. Gone by Michael Grant
This first book was fascinating, and this YA series was thrilling! The book was suspenseful and the prospect of having no adults around makes for my favorite dystopian series! The powers that they gain are an amazing twist.

5. Losing It by Erin Fry
This realistic fiction book shows that you can do anything when you put your mind to it, and shows the difficulties in losing weight and being healthy. It also shows great examples of how to handle bullying.

6. Faceless by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
This book is about discrimination and being comfortable in who you are. It went deep into many teen issues, including self-confidence. Maisie teaches about honesty and taking care of yourself. This book is inspirational and I love it!

7. Rule of Three by Eric Walters

What I really liked was that even though it is dystopian, it seemed a little more realistic, seeing that the communities did not completely fall apart, and there was still some order.  

8. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
This is one of the only books I have read where I don't have unanswered questions! The plot structure was intriguing and Juliet's character is well-written and developed. I would not change anything!

9. Numbers by Rachel Ward
I have never read a book like this, and it must have been really hard to write! I loved the internal conflict and I thought that the topic was brilliant. I was able to easily connect to Jem, and her optimism and bravery made up for the fact that the series is a little sadder than what I normally read.

10. Radiate by Marley Gibson
I love that this book is based off of a true story! I also like how the book tackles generalizations about cheerleaders, and I loved reading her journey to recovery.

11. Nothing But the Truth

This was one of the options on a school summer reading list, and I never imagined I would love it as much as I did! This funny book about patriotism is for everyone!

The Program by Suzanne Young

The Program is the first book in a YA dystopian series. In this futuristic society, suicide is a national epidemic, and if a person is depressed, they are claimed to be “sick.” Not mentally ill or as a mental disorder, but sick. It is also claimed to be “contagious.” With 1 in 3 teens committing suicide in the United States annually, the government has created the Program, the only proven way to get rid of depression- erasing their memories that “gave” them depression. With handlers from the Program all over the schools, nobody is allowed to show any emotion but happiness. Everyone must remain a blank slate or else they will be taken. (Until they turn 18, then they cannot force you.)

Salone has first-hand experience with these things. Her older brother committed suicide in front of her, and several of her friends have been taken in, not remembering her anymore when they come out. Salone buries her feelings deep down and does not let anything show. Not at school, not at home. Her mother thinks the program is the best thing in the world, and will do anything to keep her from getting “sick.” Salone only shows emotion with James, her boyfriend. He has promised to keep her out of treatment, and Salone is confident their love can sustain anything. Gradually, it becomes harder to hide the truth. Salone must continue to fight if she wants to remember James and who she is.

Teen suicide is not the point at all of this book, and it is about so much more.  It is about control, privacy, human rights, and expressing who you are. The Program is about finding yourself and who we are on the inside. If somebody took away everything that we had, who we are, would we be the same? This book is also about the power of love. The Program is very thought-provoking and with a concept that I have yet to read. I loved the romance between Salone and James. They are that perfect couple that you see in movies. Readers saw relationship development and it was obvious how much they both cared for each other. I also loved how they were holding hands in the cover.

I have many strong feelings about this book. I am so angry at The Program. It is unconstitutional and a violation of human rights. I feel so bad for everyone in the Program, and I really hope nothing like this ever happens in the future. I am angry about how they treat these people. Depression is not a contagious illness. The pattern of thinking is just so wrong. On the other hand, having a book like this is practically a guide for how not to handle depression.

I loved the setting in the facility/mental hospital part. I liked the gradual erasing of memories, and how strong Salone fought. The therapist was aggravating, and I hated how the handlers treated Salone, especially one in particular, Roger. There were so many times in the book when I wanted to help Salone, warn her or jump in the book and get her out. The characters were extremely well-developed and I care about all of them, except for Salone’s mom. I am really glad she is not my mother!

I highly recommend that you read this book! I cannot wait to read the next book, The Treatment! The third book, The Adjustment, (staring different characters) was released on April 18, 2017. The fourth book comes out sometime in 2018. There is a prequel series titled The Remedy and The Epidemic (also different characters) that I might read.

Title: The Program
Author: Suzanne Young
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 405 Pages
Series: Yes, Book 1

Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten YA Realistic Fiction Books I Want to Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by the Broke and the Bookish blog. If you want to participate, click here. This week's theme is Top 10 Books From X Genre That I've Recently Added To My TBR List. I have adapted it to be realistic fiction books that I want to read. 

A reason why I love realistic fiction is that you can open a door into somebody else's life, one that is actually possible. Realistic fiction characters are the easiest to connect to because they feel real. Their stories can actually happen somewhere in the world, if they haven't already. The following list is in order of priority. 

1. Ultimatum by K.M. Walton

Ever since Oscar and Vance's mom died, the two brothers have drifted apart. When their dad's liver fails, they must figure out how to put aside their differences and work together. 

2. The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

For Mallory Dodge, silence is a shield, and when she was little she quickly learned that saying nothing was the best way to survive. After years of homeschooling, she will be at a public high school for her senior year. When things start falling apart, she must choose between silence and speaking the truth. 

3. A List of Cages by Robin Roe

Adam Blake got the best elective his senior year- an aid for the school psychologist, and he thinks it's going to be easy. Then when she asks Adam to track down a student for her, it ends up to be Julian, a foster brother he hasn't seen in five years, troubled with a hard secret.

4. Life Unaware by Cole Gibsen
One day, Regan Flay arrives to school to see that every text, email, insult or lie she has ever told or written was taped to all the lockers in school.

5. A Door Near Here by Heather Quarles
15-year-old Katherine is basically the mother to her three younger siblings. There is no stability, food and money are running out, and the school is suspicious. On top of everything, her youngest sister is obsessed with finding a door to the imaginary land of Narnia.

6. Scrawl by Mark Shulman
When Tod and his friends get caught doing something bad, his punishment is to write his life story to why he is a bully. Hopefully, this can teach him to stop.

7. Ironman by Chris Crutcher
Bo hates his father, and they are at "war". The anger he feels gives him strength to be a triathlete, but also translates into yelling at his teachers. Close to expulsion, he is put in anger management class.

8. The Year Without Michael by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Last year, Jody's younger brother disappeared, and her family is falling apart.

9. Panic by Sharon M. Draper
Diamond was just at the mall. She was left alone for two minutes, and then makes a stupid mistake. One that leaves her as captive after being kidnapped.

10. How to Make A Wish by Ashley Herring Blake
Grace just wants a normal life, one that does not involve moving every three months, and having to worry whether or not the electric bill is paid. She is just trying to lay low until graduation. Then Grace meets Eva, a girl with her own share of demons.