All the things we lost

This was an impulsive buy on Amazon as I was wanting to read a quick teen novel instead of the stack of books by my bed, and this book was the perfect respite from the district writing assessment blues.  It's a quick read that will keep you wanting to turn the pages even when you are supposed to be doing other things.  

Katie is back in the town; the town that she doesn't want to be in...the life she doesn't want to live...the people she doesn't want to see.  However, things change when she is reunited with Julian, a boy who has his own trouble...his own disappointments...his own dreams to be somewhere else.  You will fall in love with Julian and Katie as they do their best to make light of their situations.  

I will be by your side.

Warning...it took me 130 pages before I even started to like this book.  It starts off really slow with no real sign of getting much better until page 130, and it slapped me in the face.  At that point, I couldn't put the book down - you know - the stay up too late/try to read during school kind of book. 

Dax is intriguing (and, yes, I love his name, too).  He has a heart of gold even though he doesn't have a reason to help others especially Autumn who struggles with anxiety.  Being locked up in the library for two days allows these two to create a support system based on honesty.  

RC points = 17 

After the Game

When I started reading this book, I couldn't remember what happened in the other two books in the series - Until Friday Night and Under the Lights.  I do remember liking them, but that is all.  Once I got about 40 pages into the book, the premise behind the book came back to me, and I was able to connect the characters.  If you haven't read the first two in the series, they can easily be read out of order as the characters slightly overlap, but the author gives enough information to continue without reading the previous books.

From the back cover, "When town golden boy Brady Higgens finds Riley and her daughter, Bryony, stranded on the side of the road in a storm, he pulls over and gives them a ride - not because he cares about Riley, of course, but because of the kid."  Or, maybe it wasn't because of the kid...

RC points = 15

Lara Jean returns

I was really excited to read the last book in this series.  Don't forget to go back and read To All the Boys I've Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You, please go back and read them.  Everyone can identify with Lara Jean as she goes through the life struggles of being a sister, friend, daughter, student, and girlfriend.  As Lara Jean adventures through the decision making of going to college, leaving her family, and accepting a stepmom, she captures the heart of the reader.  

Through to You

I read this book twice because I lost the reading quiz for it the first time. I must say that I actually liked it the second time better than the first. It is a classic Lauren Barnholdt story in which I competely enjoyed the characters she created for this story, not to mention the names. Harper's fear of the school nurse is comical, and Penn's ability to skip school is impressive.