Matched by Ally Condie

People are calling this book ‘the next Twilight’ and ‘the new Hunger Games’. But it’s so much more than just a copy. It’s marketed as this superhot romance thingy, but honestly, it has a lot more depth than you might expect.

Cassia lives in a dystopian world where the Society pretty much controls everything. I actually found the descriptions of daily life very natural- they didn’t seem like they’d been conjured up to make the book ‘cool’. The Society decides where you work, what you eat and how much, and who you marry. During the Matching ceremony, Cassia is matched with her best friend/secret admirer Xander. Everything’s rosy until she opens a box full of information about her Match (this is really too complicated for me to explain), she sees another face: Ky. I know what you’re thinking, and to be fair I was kind of thinking it too: Okay, so now the rest of the book will be about how Cassia deliberates back and forth over these two guys and eventually she’ll decide she likes the danger/badboy aspect of Ky and run off with him into the sunset.

While I won’t reveal who she ends up with, I will say that the book is so much more than just a romance. And it has more shades than black and white. Though Cassia becomes increasingly disillusioned with the Society, I really like how the author included the other view, highlighting all the things that the Society was good for: the stronger people, the peaceful dying, and even the Matching. She painted her Society not to be some kind of dictatorial, oppressive regime that was clearly Bad with a capital B- most of the things the Society did…they just made sense, and that served to make the book feel more realistic and deep. This book subtly hints that absolute power and control corrupts, which is a pretty interesting and current topic. I mean, if I were to rule the world one day, I would probably do some of the same things, so it’s interesting to see the negative consequences of such good looking decisions. And speaking of good looking, I’ll talk about the romance, ‘cause it was like whoa. Not as scorching as reviews would have you believe, just kind of simmering there. There’s no screaming arguments or passionate love scenes or dramatic heartbreaks, but the gentle intimacy of some of the scenes was shiver-inducing. Another thing I really gotta give props to is the writing. WOW it’s good. There are so many metaphors in the writing, which, for a huge book/writing nerd like me, is amazing. I haven’t seen that kind of symbolism since A Great and Terrible Beauty. This book will absorb you, entrance you, and leave you on your library’s website, watching the number of holds go down until you can devour the second book, Crossed.

Loved this book? Then you’ll like:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Uglies by Scott Westerfield (and series)

The Dirt Eaters by Dennis Foon (and series)

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Judge this book by its cover. Seriously. Like the cover, this story is quirky, dangerous, and full of intriguing details if you look close enough.

The premise isn’t difficult to wrap your mind around. A plane full of Teen Dream beauty pageant contestants crashes, stranding a group of them on the island with few resources. While this may sound like a cheesy mashup of Survivor and Miss America, the story is pulled off seamlessly. Without the pressures that they face back home, the girls open up, reveal their secrets, and learn something about themselves.

This book is hilarious, in a witty and satirical way. Product placement, clueless blondes, and crazy pop culture references (with no possible inspiration from our pop culture nowadays, of course) make this book an original and refreshing read. It attacks the perceptions that our society has about the ways girls should act, think, and look with a lighthearted and sardonic tone. As you get into the heads of different girls each chapter, you get a unique look at what drove them to compete in a pageant, their insecurities, and the things that they’re hiding. There are more than enough surprises and mysteries to keep things interesting! While some people will complain the dialogue can be sappy, the realizations forced, and the storyline unbelievable, I think this book is like its characters: you shouldn’t take it too seriously, but it definitely has something special to share with you. At the end, you’ll feel tears prick your eyes- proud tears, because you will have watched a group of girls grow in so many ways and you won’t want them to let them go. An enjoyable, empowering, and unforgettable story.  

Loved this book? Then you'll like:

Alice, I Think by Susan Juby (and series)

Books by John Green

...yeesh, I don't know. I can't think of another book that matches the randomness and off-the-wall humour of this one.

To give you a sense of the writing style, here's the opening few lines. "This book begins with a plane crash. We do not want you to worry about this. According to the U.S. Department of Unnecessary Statistics, your chances of dying in a plane crash are one in half a million. Whereas your chances of losing your bathing suit bottoms to a strong tide are two to one. So, all in all, it's safer to fly than to go to the beach." -Libba Bray, Beauty Queens


It goes on like that, but a little more on topic, don't worry!

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

Okay, so this isn’t technically a teen book. But I think everyone should read it, so I’m going to ignore that right now.

The Underneath is a touching tale about the love between a dog and a small calico cat and her kittens (cue Awwwwwww!). When the calico cat, with kittens in her belly, hears the mournful baying of Ranger, the bloodhound, she seeks him out. In spite of their many differences, she befriends him. Ranger names one of the kittens Sabine, and the calico cat names her other kitten, a boy, Puck. Sabine and Puck grow up together in the Underneath, the dark and holy Underneath, a space under the porch. This sounds nice and rosy, but the cuteness ends here. The reason they must hide in the Underneath is because there, they are safe from Gar-Face, a man who would use a cat for bait to try and catch the Alligator King. He had previously shot his dog- Ranger- in the leg and chained him up (cue gasp). But one day, Puck ventures out of the Underneath, and the series of events that follows are not what he expected, wanted, or meant…

Meanwhile, there is another story going on- that of Grandmother Moccasin, a large snake, who is consumed by hatred for everything. She remembers all those who betrayed her as she is trapped in a jar, waiting for a chance to escape.

While the storyline may sound childish, it has a lot to offer for anyone reading it. First things first though, I really gotta pay homage to the writing. The poetic writing style of this book is to die for. I’ve never seen an author who uses words to lull the reader down the river of her story, and while that sounds overly metaphorical, that’s what it feels like. Sometimes I had to read a few lines over again, whispering the words, because it was just so delicious. If you’re a writer, you have to read this book for at least research purposes. (This story will change my writing style dramatically, I’m sure of it). The story itself was suspenseful, though it’s not one of the breakneck-pace thrillers crowding our bookstores today. I looooooved the ending because it tied up everything, down to the hummingbird. Without giving too much away, the power of love reaches it’s climax point and everything’s just so sweet and sad at the same time. This is the kind of book you read slowly, and then you read parts over again, just to savour every bit of it. 

If you loved this book...

You're an awesome person. Yes, I'm using compliments to cover the fact that after years of searching, I still haven't found another book quite like this one. 

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Take the simple formula boy meets girl, boy loves girl, boy loses girl.

Repeat it for a few hundred years, and add in a faerie curse, shifting allegiances, and a Winter Queen bent on killing her son.

This is the life of Keenan, the Summer King whose powers have been bound. To break the curse, he must find his Summer Queen. The catch? She has to risk her life for him, either taking on Winter’s Chill and living alone filled with cold, or becoming a Summer Girl and spending the rest of her life with the Summer Court.

Keenan thinks he’s finally found his Summer Queen. The problem is, she doesn’t love him, and she doesn’t want to become part of the fairy world. Meanwhile, Keenan is torn between his true love and his duty, and the Winter is getting longer and longer.

This book is set apart from other typical romance novels because the descriptions of the faerie world are so vivid. They can be brutal, capricious, or sensitive, but they’re all full of life. The romance isn’t the standard love triangle that has infected most teen books these days; it’s full of sacrifice and yearning. The story is very intricate, hurtling along with plenty of twists and turns. By the time you reach the ending you’ll want to read it again. 

Loved this book? Then you'll like:

City of Bones (and series) by Cassandra Clare

Hush, Hush (and series) by Becca Fitzpatrick

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

I adore this series. To start off with, I love dragons, so this book already has my heart. But the characters…and the plot…and the pace…wow, it’s really incredible.

What’s really cool is that it focuses on a more Asian-centered world. I mean, I’m always reading about the US and about European countries and historical fiction in English courts, so it’s nice to have a change. The main character is called Eon, but he’s secretly a girl in disguise (pretty awesome, right?). She’s trying to become a Dragoneye, which means that she has a special bond to one of the twelve dragons (fun fact: the 12 dragons are based on the Chinese zodiac). Once she’s a Dragoneye, she has to deal with, for lack of a better term, court-like intrigue and complex politics in the Dragoneye world. Eon(a) has to deal with the sinister Lord Ido, who’s determined to seize power in the typical villainous-lord way. There are also a whole bunch of mysteries brought up, such as the fabled Mirror Dragon and the legendary black and red folios (books, basically) that contain powerful magic.

The storyline is fantastic. The pacing matched with the attention to detail is wonderful, and all the characters are well developed. I loved Eona because she was so strong, struggling to best the guys even with a lame leg. I love how feisty she was; not once did she ever stop fighting. While reading the book, I wanted to totally immerse myself in the world! What more can I say? Read it!

And then read the second one, because it’s even better. Why, you ask? Well, it introduces, along with more danger, more mysteries, and more powers for Eona: romance. That’s right. You finally get your typical love triangle, except there’s lots more going on. Trust me, neither of the guys is your average boy-next-door type. Both have secrets and neither of them trust each other, but seeing Eona’s relationship grow with one of them in particular is really interesting. To give you an idea of how addicted I was to this book, I couldn’t put it down even on a long, twisty car ride. I’m very prone to getting motion sickness. ‘Nuff said.

Loved this book? Then you'll like:


Scepter of the Ancients by Derek Landy (and series)
Anything that Tamora Pierce wrote
Eragon by Christopher Paolini (and series)
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull (and series)
Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
Cry of the Icemark by Stuart Hill

Swim the Fly by Don Calame

Now here's a book your guy friends don't want you to read! Raunchy, hilarious, sharp, and did I say raunchy, this is one of the most entertaining reads I've ever come across.

Each summer, Matt, Sean, and Cooper set themselves a goal. This year, it's to see a naked girl. (Need I say more? Your interest is already piqued!) This might be easy for some guys, but not these ones- they're all, well let's just say their not ladies' men. Matt is also trying to impress a girl on his swim team, Kelly, by swimming the butterfly, an insanely difficult event. To complicate things, she has a boyfriend, who is huge and terrifying. The boys' exploits to see a naked girl get funnier and funnier, and gradually more ridiculous. Each thing leads to another and soon the boys are knee deep in...problems.

Their banter is as hilarious as it is realistic, and I enjoyed reading about their friendship. Certain scenes had me laughing for minutes,like the bathroom one, and That's What She Said Day. I found it very...interesting...to find out what guys are thinking about most of the time. The book feels a lot like a comedy movie: great dialogue, plenty of action, and good pace. A perfect summertime adventure.

The sequel, Beat the Band, dishes up the same humor, with more of a serious aspect added in. While Swim the Fly is all laughs, this book is laughs with some meaning. Essentially, Cooper is manipulated by the four most popular girls in the school to hurt Hot Dog Helen, who he's paired with for Health class (discussing contraceptives- fun times). He's dealing with this as well as trying to shape up for the Beat the Band competition, which he and his friends entered. (They SUCK). Personally, I liked this one even better than the first.

The third book, Call the Shots, is told from Sean's point of view. It's going to come out this fall. Can't wait!

If you loved this book, you'll like:

Into the Ravine by Richard Scrimger
Paper Towns by John Green
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Spud by John van de Ruit
Looking for Alaska by John Green

Life is Funny by E.R. Frank

I've always wanted to be able to peer inside stranger's minds and know their story. Okay, that sounds a little creepy, but don't tell me you've never wondered what's going on in the lives of that woman screaming at someone through her phone, or that friendly homeless man, or that group of kids smoking beside the park. This book is the closest I've ever come to experiencing that.

Each of the chapters holds a different story about characters in the same neighbourhood, kind of like a whole collection of memoirs. The cool part is that names come up that you recognize; it's a bit like hearing a story from a friend and they mention someone you know from somewhere else, all the time. All the teens have issues in this book, but the interesting thing is that the author never tries to pass judgement. She never says 'This is what's happening and it's wrong. This person should instead do...'. She simply says 'This is what's happening' and leaves the reader to come to their own decision. I've never seen such a wide range of characters portrayed so realistically. My favourite chapters are Monique, Molly, Drew, and Grace. This is a very unique book- read it!

If you loved this book, you'll like:

Junk by Melvin Burgess
Perfect by Ellen Hopkins 
Identical by Ellen Hopkins