Pivot Point by Kasie West

Pivot Point is the first of two YA books about seeing the future. Addie is a Searcher, meaning that she can search the future. This comes in handy, because she can ensure that the choices she makes are correct. However, there is no correct choice when she is forced to choose which parent to live with. Either stay with her mom in the Compound or leave with her father to live with the normal people, and not use her abilities. Told in alternating chapters of the future with her mom or with her dad, Addie is forced to realize that any future will have its flaws. With tragedy on both sides, she must choose between her own happiness or the protection of her friends.

I have always wanted to see the future! My first thought after reading the synopsis was that I was jealous of her ability. If I could see both outcomes, it would be really easy to decide, right? Not for Addie. With loss and fear on both sides, there is no good option. If I was faced with that decision, I don't know what I would do. I think that her decision at the end of the book is controversial. I personally believe that Addie is extremely strong and brave.

Having two parallel story lines was really fresh and unique. At first, I was not sure about reading two different stories, but they are alike more than I thought, especially towards the second half of the book. It was very interesting to see how the two parts overlap and intersect each other. I really enjoyed the concept of the "normal" people, and how they live. Even though the book is fantasy, it really felt realistic, which I liked. This book is also insanely dramatic, containing a murder-mystery that shocked me. I had a lot of fun guessing what was going to happen, especially when the two stories overlapped.

I highly recommend this book! I am excited to read the sequel, Split Second!

Title: Pivot Point
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 343
Series: Yes, book 1 of 2
Rating: 5 Stars
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Crazy by Han Nolan

Crazy is an inspirational YA realistic fiction book. Jason's mother is dead, and his father's insanity and hallucinations have taken over, leaving Jason by himself to care for his father. He is determined to tell nobody because his father needs him. Simultaneously as his father's condition deteriorates even further, Jason is forced to join a support group at school where he discovers friendships that will inspire him to finally have the strength to get help for his father.

Crazy is one of the most emotional books that I have ever read! The book enforces the importance of asking for help and standing up for what you believe in. Many people are afraid to ask for help or are ashamed that they need it, but this book clearly illustrates the power of friendship and support that can be provided. I believe that hope is the most powerful asset that Crazy has. Through the sad times and the angry times, and the almost-giving-up times, hope still shined through, inspiring optimism.

The themes of family, love, and friendship were very important. The family dynamic has completely switched. Jason is now the father and the father is now a child, the son. Jason's protectiveness of his father was inspiring and heartbreaking. I cannot imagine the weight on his shoulders and how fast he had to grow up, and how isolated his life was. Jason's external and internal conflicts were so emotional and contradicting. On one hand, the house is broken (literally) and completely falling apart, he is emotionally and mentally drained. On the other hand, he loves his father and wants everything to remain how it is, because it was safer and easier for him. I loved his character development and how he came to realize the importance of friendship and how he did not want to be alone anymore. 

This is a book that nobody can forget! I highly recommend this book!

I am also very interested in reading another book of the author's, Dancing on the Edge, as well as If I Should Die Before I Wake about a girl who hates all Jewish people who travels back in time to live the life of a Jewish girl.

Title: Crazy
Author: Han Nolan
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Pages: 352
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
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Accomplice by Eireann Corrigan

Accomplice is a YA realistic fiction book about two teens who stage a kidnapping to get into college. The guidance counselor at Chloe and Finn's school told the students that colleges are bored of the same students, and kids must stand out in extreme ways. Chloe gets the idea for a publicity stunt to stage her own kidnapping. After a while of hiding Chloe in the basement of Finn's grandmother, Finn will "find" Chloe and all the colleges will want them due to their unique (and fake) college essays. However, the girls are way in over their heads, and things will have to get way worse before they can be better.

My biggest frustration with this book is how Finn and Chloe don't have moral compasses. Finn has more morality than Chloe, but they are both despicable. Chloe strikes me as a Barbie doll, a naive girl greatly concerned only with how she looks. She is blind to emotion and to the others around her and never stops to think about her actions. Finn shows remorse and moral values, but nowhere near enough for me to care about the characters.

Finn has a lot of internal and external conflict, and shows much more intelligence than Chloe, but sadly dug herself deeper and deeper in a hole until there was just no way out. There was no change, no huge revelation, no lesson learned. I had hoped for a transformation, but this story is just sad and disappointing with no meaning at all.

I strongly, strongly dislike the college counselor. That woman should be fired, and gave the students discouraging talks (in all capital letters) which paints a harsh, unrealistic, and anxiety-provoking picture about college. If you decide to read this, please, please do not do anything insane to prove that you are worth college or lie to make yourself look better.

I do not recommend this book.

Title: Accomplice
Author: Eireann Corrigan
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 304
Series: No
Rating: 1 Star
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The Boy From the Basement by Susan Shaw

The Boy From the Basement is a YA realistic fiction book about a young boy escaping his abusive past and his fears. 12-year-old Charlie lives in a home where he is condemned to the basement of his home, his "punishment," according to his father. He does not know how to read, what numbers are, and has never been outside, just hurt by his father while his mother just stood by and watched. When Charlie is afraid of a spider, he accidentally goes outside and embarks on a journey of finding love and learning to heal.

This book is quite short, 198 pages, but full of emotions and intense scenes that will move you to tears! I loved the symbolism of the spider and what it meant to Charlie, as well as his mentality of "punishment."

The Boy From the Basement is very sad and inspiring. Unfortunately, it is a true story for many kids in the world. The character development of Charlie is extraordinary. He wants his parents back, and for the longest time he doesn't understand that what he went through is wrong. He is afraid of his father, but loves him, too. He goes from blaming himself to realizing that he can be independent and gains a self-worth and confidence that is incredible and inspiring.

This book should be required reading in school. I can think of so many essays to write, from symbolism to basic characterization. I think that this book could be eye-opening for some people and it is also educational about psychology and really shows the power of positive thinking and self-esteem. It teaches coping skills, especially about fear and how to change your thinking. Readers can take away from this book the fact that life can always get better, and that even taking tiny steps can still be huge progress.

I highly recommend this book, and I cannot wait to read another book of the author's, Black-Eyed Susie!

Title: The Boy From the Basement
Author: Susan Shaw
Publisher: Dutton Books
Pages: 198
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
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A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard

A Quiet Kind of Thunder is an inspirational YA romance book. Steffi has Selective Mutism, mostly due to her extreme anxiety. Rhys is deaf, and cannot hear. Because Steffi knows sign language, she is assigned to help him adjust to the new school. Soon, they fall in love, and together try to find who they are and prove to themselves that they can be independent and brave.

I love inspirational stories about overcoming hardships, which is why I picked up this book. I did not expect how beautiful romance could be, and I was pleasantly surprised. I do not know how to describe the happiness and butterflies in my heart while I was reading this book. I guess you could call it A Quiet Kind of Thunder, how the characters describe being in love. I love it when the names of books come from somewhere, and this came from the most sincere, loving place.

This book has changed some of my viewpoints on romance, and I will be more open to reading more romance books in the future. I have shied away from the majority of true romance books for a while, and I honestly am not sure why. But wow, this book moved me and enlightened me with an new appreciation for love and a happiness for the rest of the day.

I enjoyed how the book tackled some of the stigmas and assumptions made about the Deaf community and how they are viewed, as well as the cruelty that Steffi faces at school every day. A Quiet Kind of Thunder teaches that one is not defined by their struggles. The book is an inspirational journey of Rhys and Steffi finding their own language, being comfortable in their own skin, and beating social anxiety.

The best way I can think of to describe this book is comparing it to a cupcake. The icing is the sweetness, loving, kissing, and heart-melting parts. But as you dig deeper there is the cake, the foundation built on communication, strength, and courage. The wrapper is the part that pulls the story together, the emotions of crying, laughter, and anger. This is an inspirational story that is intense and romantic at times, but also lighthearted and funny, too.

I highly recommend this book!

This book is for older readers because of a few intimate scenes.

Title: A Quiet Kind of Thunder
Author: Sara Barnard
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 400
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
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TwoSpells by Mark Morrison

TwoSpells is the first book in a middle grade fantasy series that was sent to me by the author. When twins Sarah and Jon are on a trip to visit their grandparents, they learn about a dark and mysterious building called TwoSpells, a library that allows you to enter into different universes through the power of reading. Unbeknownst to the twins, they have magical powers, too. Their exploration of the library and other realms is interrupted by a war, and the dark leaders have their eyes on the twins.

The cover is beautiful and a fair representation of the book. I would love to visit that library! Being able to visit the world of a book would be a dream come true. The imagery was amazing and I truly felt that I was in there with the characters! I also loved the mysterious and creepy setting that kept me on the edge of my seat.

I enjoyed the action scenes and how the chaos was actually reined in and somewhat controlled at the same time. It was interesting to discover the complex family relationship and the mystery of figuring out their ancestry and discovering their enemies' motivations. My only critique is that I was wishing for Sarah and Jon to use more magic and play a little bit of a bigger role in the war.

I cannot wait for more books in the future! It was a clever cliffhanger, and I cannot wait to find out how their powers develop and evolve! I recommend this book!

Title: TwoSpells
Author: Mark Morrison
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Pages: 316
Series: Yes, Book 1
Rating: 4 Stars
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Virtual Grunt (Everything League Book 1) by Barnaby Quirk

Virtual Grunt is a middle grade science fiction book that was sent to me by the author. It is the first book in the series called Everything League. In the future, virtual video gaming is the most popular recreational activity that teens and even adults are obsessed with. The Everything League, the company that makes the games, is hosting a 50 million dollar contest.

Bobby is an incredible grunt, the enemy in the game working against the players, challenging them harder and harder. As the competition heats up, he starts to notice that things are not quite right, and one player keeps getting insanely lucky. As Bobby starts to work with one of the programmers of the games, he unknowingly is getting involved in a huge hacking scheme that takes criminality into the real world, too. When Bobby starts climbing the ladder of the best grunts, leading to him playing against the cheater, he is really the only one who can make things fair.

Virtual reality is in our future, and it is quite likely that we could have a championship like this in a few hundred years. The games were quite fun and creative! I would love to play in those games, and being a grunt sounds like a lot of fun! It is also striking to see the obsession with virtual world video games, and I liked the reoccurring theme of spending time in "real life" and outside. I loved the suspense and action inside the games, and I was tremendously intrigued! The imagery inside the world was also really strong.

Cheating in sports is popular, and there are many people who will do illegalities for money. In the future, it is likely that this will actually happen, and I enjoyed the glimpse of the future. Bobby's moral skills are impressive and I liked his determination to make things right and fair. I loved how he did not back down even when things got scary. His journey really evolved his personality, too, and readers can watch him expand his confidence and strength as a person.

I highly recommend this book for all ages. I look forward to more books in this series in the coming future!

Title: Virtual Grunt
Author: Barnaby Quirk
Publisher: Blazing Things LLC
Pages: 294
Series: Yes, Book 1
Rating: 5 Stars
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The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh M. O'Brien

The Vault of Dreamers is the first YA dystopian in the trilogy about dream mining and seeding. The Forge School is the best school for the arts in the world. Every moment of the students' lives are on national television. Every night, the students get 12 hours of medical sleep to "induce creativity." When film student Rosie skips her sleeping pill, she realizes that something is happening during the night at Forge, something that the cameras can't reach. What's worse is that she is hearing a voice in her head and is having dizzy spells. There are little IV marks in her arm she doesn't remember getting, and she sees students getting taken somewhere in the night. She sneaks around, filming the awful things she's witnessing. But in the morning, the footage has been erased. How can she stop this if nobody believes her? Even worse, she's beginning to think she can't trust herself.

This book was a complete thrill! I have never read any book like this, and I hope it never happens. Talk about an invasion of privacy! The 4th amendment completely vanished, and I was fascinated, constantly trying to figure out the motivations of all the characters and why and how the conspiracy unfolded and went unnoticed.

Rosie has possibly the biggest internal conflict of any character ever. As she sinks deeper into the investigation and trying to convince others to investigate too, she ends up questioning her sanity. The more nobody believes her, essentially the whole world, the more she doubts herself and truly wonders if everything really was a nightmare, or maybe she's hallucinating. It really doesn't help that the footage on her camera is gone. When everybody tells you something, it is really hard to stick with knowing that you are right and everybody else is wrong. I can only imagine how frustrating and angering it must have been. If I was a student there, I definitely would have believed her and tried to help.

Something I liked was the Dean's character. The whole book I was constantly guessing whether he was good or evil. I like characters that are not obvious, and the conspiracy surrounding him was very clever and well-written. The idea of the art school being on television and popularity rankings and eliminations is interesting by itself, let alone the secrets. I loved more than just the dystopian element, I loved the relationships and the classes and competition.

I highly recommend this book! I am very glad I bought this book, and I cannot wait to read the next one, The Rule of Mirrors!

Title: The Vault of Dreamers
Author: Caragh M. O'Brien
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Pages: 418
Series: Yes, Book 1 of 3
Rating: 5 Stars
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Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez

Out of Darkness is a YA historical fiction book telling a story of love, racial tension, and tragedy in a backdrop of the New London School Explosion in 1937, the deadliest school disaster in American history. In East Texas, there are three rules on every sign in every store; No Negroes, Mexicans, or Dogs. Naomi Vargas is Mexican. Wash Fuller is African American.

An unlikely relationship blossoms between them. Their plans to be with each other and escape to Mexico are interrupted by the school explosion and Naomi's racist step-father who wants her all to himself. Soon in the face of tragedy again, Beto, Naomi's little brother, will take to the world and tell the true story of what really happened in all those fateful weeks, not the fake version the newspapers and white people created.

This is historical fiction, and while the characters' specific story may not be true, it is based on the truth. The author took an awful event and made it even sadder by bringing attention to the controversy and racism surrounding it. Tragedies like the ones that happened in this book we all know that in some form, they did happen in that time period. And we as a species still deal with racism and prejudice today. Out of the Darkness is a strong wake-up call to the darkness inside humanity and makes us reflect on who we are and the choices we make every day. The racial prejudice was true and strong, and this book pays tribute to those who could not speak their minds or tell the truth based on society. And we all sadly know that this fate was true somewhere, sometime in the world.

The book is also just beautiful. I cannot think of a single other word to describe the way the words flowed and carried the spirit, the love between the characters, the aura around them. The story was a beautiful, romantic tragedy. The ending made me cry, and I was also angry, but at the same time appreciative and grateful for reading this type of story. Out of Darkness will be the saddest book you have ever read. But the story is so sad that it must be told. I highly, highly recommend this book.

Note: This book should be advised for only older readers given certain scenes of violence and mature actions, especially near the end of the book.

Title: Out of Darkness
Author: Ashley Hope Pérez
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Pages: 402
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
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Jake, Lucid Dreamer by David J. Naiman

Jake, Lucid Dreamer is an inspirational middle grade realistic fiction book about love and loss. This was sent to me by the author, and will be released on May 4, 2018.

Jake is 12 years old, a seventh-grader. His mom died when he was eight, and while his dad and sister can move on and enjoy life, Jake cannot find a hint of happiness. To make things worse, he is bullied at school. Jake barely gets through the days, his anger, sadness, and grief consuming him. Jake is also a lucid dreamer, meaning he can think clearly in his dreams. The issues of his day come up in his dreams at night, prompting him to reflect on himself and eventually face his biggest fear.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Jake's emotional struggle can connect to readers far and wide. I know that I was personally touched with the deepness of his rage and internal conflict. Even if one has not felt the loss of a family member, everyone deals with intense emotions at times and difficult conflicts that can be looked at in a different angle. Jake, Lucid Dreamer teaches common behaviors that we do and don't notice, and teaches techniques and types of healing after tragedy. This book is inspirational to all because everyone deals with obstacles that seem impossible.

His middle school experience is quite common, and I enjoyed how he uses his intelligence to outwit his bullies. Jake teaches valuable techniques of how to handle tough situations and can help many kids in similar situations in viewing a different perspective and staying confident.

I enjoyed the juxtaposition of his dreams verses the reality and the symbolism of the basement, clouds, GPS, kangaroos, and much more I probably did not even catch. This would be really good for required reading in school because of the vast analytical essay opportunities. The imagery of the dreams was also really good, and I liked how they were crazy and fantastical, but at the same time expected and relevant.

I highly recommend this book!

Title: Jake, Lucid Dreamer
Author: David J. Nailman
Publisher: Kwill Books
Pages: 156
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
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