Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

Belzhar tells the story of a high-school girl named Jam whose life is thrown into crisis by the death of her boyfriend. Though they were only together, as Jam continually points out, for 41 days, it was an intense relationship that made Jam feel like someone really got her. Unable to snap Jam out of her depression, her parents send her to a boarding school in Vermont for "troubled" teens. There she encounters other adolescents struggling with loss as well as a special English class that teaches her about much more than literature. Little by little, we learn about what happened between Jam and her boyfriend -- and the final analysis definitely isn't what you expect.

I was drawn to this book because of its author, Meg Wolitzer, who wrote a great book for adults called The Interestings. I loved the way that book created a set of characters so real I felt like I knew them. Wolitzer does something similar with Belzhar, but this book is much more plot driven. Wolitzer did a great job sprinkling suspense and magic throughout the book that kept you wanting to know more, to read on, to turn the next page. And the twist at the end was at once heartbreaking and hopeful. Turns out, what other people might see as a minor setback others find an earth shattering event. There are some mature themes in the book, including some references to drugs and homosexuality. In addition, romantic relationships play a pretty big part in the book. But it was definitely a page turner.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

This book tells the story of Colin Singleton, a child prodigy who happens to have a "thing" for girls named Kathrine. The problem is, Katherines have a "thing" for him, too -- a thing for dumping him. So far, Colin has had the pleasure of being dumped by nineteen Katherines. To get over his latest dumping, Colin and his Arabic speaking friend, Hassan, take a road trip and end up spending the summer in the aptly named Gutshot, Tennessee, where the mourning Colin tries to create a mathematical formula to predict the outcomes of romantic relationships.

If you've read a John Green book before, many of the rhythms of An Abundance of Katherines will be familiar. The characters are hyper expressive, incredibly intelligent, proudly snarky, and endearingly nerdy. I don't think this reaches the heights of The Fault in Our Stars, but if you like John Green this is worth a read.

The Crossover

This is the story of two basketball-obsessed twin boys, Josh and Jordan Bell, and their ailing father, who was once a basketball superstar. The two boys are trying to lead their team to a league championship while navigating the trials and tribulations of middle school: jealousy, class, friendships -- and girls.

The story is told in a series of poems, which makes this a quick read. I was a bit disappointed with the poetry, which seemed pretty basic and bland. Where were the metaphors and similes? The symbolism? The deeper meaning?

But the story was definitely compelling, and you might not care much about the quality of the poetry. If you like sports and a fast-paced story, this could be a good option for you.

The Breadwinner

This is a story that is torn from the pages of real life Afghanistan, where the Taliban, a group of religious fanatics, took over in the 1980s and ruled until the US invasion of the country in 2001. The Taliban imposed strict religious law, which, in their mind, meant removing almost all rights from women and girls. They weren't allowed to go out in public without a robe called a burka, which covered them from head to toe, or without a male escort. They weren't allowed to attend school. They weren't allowed to work. And anyone who dared question their ideas was thrown into prison indefinitely.

This is what happens to the father of a young girl named Parvana. Without a male in her household, it becomes her job to disguise herself as a boy and make her way into Kabul's bustling marketplace to make a living for her family. It's a dangerous task that constantly leaves the reader wondering whether Parvana will be able to pull it off. This is a great book for anyone wondering what life is like in other countries.

Bone Gap

Something isn't quite right in Bone Gap. People have a way of "disappearing," including Roza, who had recently arrived in town and vastly improved the lives of Finn and his brother, Sean. With her departure, the two brothers' -- orphaned since their mother left them for Oregon -- lives lost their magic. Finn, though, never loses his determination to get her back.

Usually, I'm a stickler for realistic fiction; I've never much cared for fantasy or even "magical realism," the mixing of fantastic elements with down-to-earth reality. But I couldn't put this book down. Each chapter tells the story from a different character's point of view and toggles between multiple plot lines. This kept me interested throughout the book. Highly recommended.