Delirium by Lauren Oliver

I recently did a book report on Delirium by Lauren Oliver. Usually, it takes me weeks to finish a book. A teenagers life is hectic, a lot of things to do in not a lot of time. However, I can honestly say this book had me hooked after the first 10 pages. Lauren Oliver keeps you guessing ever step of the way with gut wrenching suspense.

If your anything like me, you’ve probably become bored with the books talking about a teenaged girl falling for a guy and then they break up and get back together and blah blah. This story puts a whole new twist on teenaged love.

Where Lena lives it is “illegal” to fall in love. The goverment has taken control of “love” and labelled it as a disease. The goverment has confined a community by surrounding it with fences and when the residents reach the age of 18 they are evaluaded and paired with a match. The pairs get a “cure” that will protect them from the disease. After Lena is exposed to a few of the goverments secrets she finds out that everything the goverment has told them has been a lie.

If you are looking for a quick, easy read you should definitely pick up Delirium.

Teen Book Review of Saving Zoe by Alyson Noel

Saving Zoe expresses the thoughts of 15 year old, Echo, trying to heal after her sister was brutally murdered. As Echo tries to complete the healing process she finds herself trying to re-live her sister’s life. When her sister’s boyfriend contacts Echo a year after the tragety, Echo quickly realized there is a lot of secrets that her sister had been keeping. Throughtout the book Echo is challenged with the internal conflict of trying to find herself and trying to find out who her sister was.

Alyson Noel does a great job at keeping the readers attention. The suspenseful drama is captivating. I would recommend this book for any teen looking to read something new. It is also easy to do a book report for.  Get more information about Saving Zoe on Amazon.com.

Interview with Emily Smucker from Louder Than Words

       Girls With Dreams is so excited about the new teen memoir series, Louder Than Words (HCI), because it gives power to the teen voice.  Teens will love hearing the unique stories of Emily, Chelsey, and Marni, the 3 young women who are authors of each of the new memoirs, edited by Deborah Reber.  Girls With Dreams is excited to bring you an interview with each of the authors.  We hope you enjoy the books as much as we did!

  Emily Smucker was an average high school senior, with a very unusual diagnosis. This 160 page novel (including an one page epilogue) is told in a diary or blog like format. It made the book so much more personal and really keeps the readers interest. I found myself privileged enough to interview Emily and get to know her on a more personal level.

          This is about shear inner strength, a very positive and empowering story. Emily commented when asked about her continuously positive attitude, “Because of my faith I knew that somehow something good was going to come out of the horror (though I never even came close to imagining that it would be a book), and my family, well, they kept my [life] from getting too boring.” Emily has a large family, which she claims to be her support network. An amazing feature of this book, is that it has so many different dynamics to it. Not only is it about a teen trying to find herself among chaos, but about the close relationships and their impacts on a  teens life. When asked about how she could turn such a devastating illness into anything positive, Emily smartly said, ” It wasn’t until the book deal fell into my lap that I was able to feel like the lemons were turning into any sort of lemonade.”

         During the beginning part of her Senior year, Emily was diagnosed with the rare West Nile virus. At first she reacts with fear and disbelief, then goes into a state of self denial. But rather than wallowing in self pity she is able to begin to see things differently, and begins to make the best of a horribly impossible situation. I asked Emily what some her biggest concerns were, ” My future was the biggest thing. I felt like I would be sick forever and never have any sort of life. At the beginning of my sickness I worried so much that I could hardly function, and it wasn’t until I prayed about deeply that I was able to deal with it.”  Her story is very empowering, a must read for every teen. Emily has shown true strength and courage, by telling her story and sharing it with the teens of the world.

          Emily commented when asked if she had one thing she wanted every girl to know, ” I wish I had something profound to say. Something that would make everyone stop and think. But I don’t.
I wish I had advice for sick people. I mean real advice, about making a difference despite being sick. But I don’t.
Well, maybe I do after all. You can blog. Sometimes people could identify with what I was saying, and that felt amazing. And in the end it gave me lots of material to put in a book.  If you have a friend who’s chronically sick, my advice would be to go visit them. Take a friend or two along. Watch a movie. Play a game. Being sick is so boring, you long for social interaction. ”

          This is the end of my blog post on Emily Smucker and her book in the  Louder Than Words series. I recommend this book to EVERYONE! And don’t worry to those of you who have already read this and are looking forward to any new novel’s by this courageous teen. Emily is working on a story about an adventurous teen Named Lola, and how she is trying to build a new life on top of the old life she was running away from. I think I speak for all of us girls when I say, I’m excited and ready to read more!

Book Review: The Perks On Being A Wallflower

I am a total bookworm. I love getting lost in books, because I can see other aspects of life. Someone recommended the book called The Perks On Being A Wallflower by by Stephen Chbosky. It was a short read about a boy named Charlie who felt unique. He never fit in, but he was incredibly intelligent. The book is written in diary form, and it’s interesting to see his ups and downs. Reading the book made me feel peaceful. I feel like there are people who just sit back and watch as life happens to others. They’re there to protect others and are usually some of the nicest people. So when you’re feeling down or need something new, pick up this nice book. It’ll make you feel like you’re not the only one in the world.

P.S. I read it all in one night. It kept me glued!

Miranda’s Book Review of The Burn Journals

A book review by Miranda:

I have recently finished reading “The Burn Journals” by Brent Runyon. It was wonderful, though at times a hard read due to the graphic details of some scenes. Over all, the book was fascinating. It was both painful and enlightening. “The Burn Journals” is a real life account of the author who attempted suicide by soaking his bathrobe with gasoline, and burning himself alive. An interesting point through out the book is: not once through out the entire story was Mr. Runyon able to describe the exact reason for his attempted suicide.

I recommend this book to every teen who finds themselves stuck in depression. There is help out there, if only you ask. The book has made it to college’s “Top 20’s Most Recommended” list. The story inspired me personally, calling me to reach out to other teens who may be feeling similar to Mr. Runyon.

Life is the most precious thing we can possibly possess and there is no excuse for intentionally ending it. By allowing yourself to commit such an act you are taking your power, your life, and handing it to the person or thing your trying to escape. You might as well be saying, “Here. Tell me how to feel about myself.” There is always hope, and always someone willing to help. Just ask. You can call the Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or visit www.teendepression.org for more specific information about depression and suicide.