Shine

Shine. Lauren Myracle. 2011.  

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Cat's best friend is dying in the hospital following a traumatic beating and it's up to her to find those who participated in the hate crime. Even if those same attackers turn out to be people she knows just as well as Patrick.  

Booktalk

Cat's best friend, Patrick, is in the hospital following an almost deadly beating. It's not a surprise because Patrick has been getting harassed by classmates for awhile now, but Cat's been choosing to turn a blind eye. Unable to ignore the hate running rampant in her small Southern town any longer and convinced the police aren't doing enough to find his attackers, Cat sets out to bring them to justice. Along the way, though, she realizes those attackers may be closer to herself and Patrick than originally thought.  

Thoughts: Excellent
I read this book when it was first released and I still remember how I felt after reading it. Thought-provoking and heart-wrenching, Cat's struggle serves to remind us all that prejudice is still alive and well and needs to be stopped immediately. Myracle writes a book that is so realistic you can't help but stop and think. I recommend this novel all the time - one of the best releases of 2011.

Image credit: http://www.amazon.com/Shine-Lauren-Myracle/dp/0810984172/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1350859763&sr=1-1&keywords=shine+by+myracle

death and the girl next door

death and the girl next door. Darynda Jones. 2012

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Lorelei McAlister has been trying to find out why her parents mysteriously disappeared years ago. When a new boy shows up at school, she realizes Jared might finally be able to reveal the truth...if only she's ready to hear it.

Booktalk
Lorelei McAlister is struggling through yet another anniversary of the disappearance of her parents. It's been years, but there's still no new leads to report or information coming forward. Until a new boy at school shows up. Jared Kovach seems to know more about Lorelei than anyone else and it seems he knows a lot about her fellow classmate, the quiet and brooding Cameron Lusk, as well. In fact, the longer he stays the more he appears to be mysteriously connected to other people in Riley's Switch. Determined to figure out all of her town's secrets, Lorelei and her friends start digging into the new boy's true identity. Who is Jared exactly and more importantly, will he finally be able to answer the questions surrounding the disappearance of Lorelei's parents?

Thoughts: Average
Forbidden love. Lots of flirting. Gorgeous men vying to protect Lorelei at every turn. All typical YA book backbone. What wasn't typical were the supernatural beings being represented. This book was definitely not what I expected.

Pros: The writing itself was well-done. The dialogue was funny and didn't weigh the novel down. I also thought the plot was well-paced and kept your attention by moving you along. The element of suspense stayed with you as well. Just when you thought you had the next move figured out, the author surprised you.

Cons: The plot was difficult for me to follow. I often felt like I missing crucial information that was necessary to understand a scene or conversation. Also, it seemed like the characters had more knowledge about what was going on than I did and, being out of the loop, I couldn't always keep up. Who knew what and how much they knew was hard to ascertain as well - especially towards the end.

 The search for Lorelei's parents continues in March 2013 with death, doom and detention.

Image credit: http://www.amazon.com/Death-Girl-Next-Darynda-Jones/dp/0312625200/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350858889&sr=8-1&keywords=death+and+the+girl+next+door