An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

An abundance of katherines by John Green

SUMMARY

An Abundance of Katherines is about a prodigy teen, named Colin, that has only dated girls named Katherine. Upon graduation, Katherine XIX dumps him. He is a misfit because of his intelligence and he has a Muslim friend, Hassan, that is also a bit strange. They decide to go on a roadtrip to heal Leo's heart. They fall upon a small town in Tennessee and wind up staying awhile and working there. While there, they both learn a lot about themselves, love, and life.

MY THOUGHTS...

Although this book deals with kids who do not necessarily feel they fit in, it does so in a humorous way. I honestly laughed out loud during many parts of the book. John Green took a child that is working on trying to be the next genius and made it into a comical story. He does go into detail that at times seems a little much, but it helps to give depth to his prodigy character, Colin. I believe high school students would enjoy this book and probably relate to many of the issues Leo and Hassan deal with.

Postcards from No Man's Land by Aidan Chambers

 

If you are a lover of historical fiction, you will enjoy this one. Postcards is a story that flips back and forth from the happenings during World War II in the Netherlands and present day Amsterdam. The story is about a young woman,  Geertrui, whose family lives in the Netherlands during the German occupation, along with the English invasion. Geertrui helps to care for an injured English soldier and falls in love with him.

Jacob is the grandson of that English soldier, who goes to Amsterdam to visit his grandfather's grave. The story evolves and incorporates Geertrui and Jacob's connection, where Geertrui's grandson Daan and Jacob become friends.
This is a beautiful story of love, friendship, and finding out about oneselve.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes 

This book was recommended to me by a colleague. I had expected this to be a happy book, but ended up balling. It was a lovely story about personal growth for one of the main characters.

Lou Clark loses her job and ends up taking care of a man who is angry because he had an accident and is now a quadrapeligic. Once an active man,Will was full of adventure, is now confined to a wheelchair. Lou's job is to brighten Will's days, but this is an almost impossible job. Lou planned adventures to bring joy to Will's life. Lou learned a lot about herself in this story. You may shed a tear, but the lessons learned are important for us all to read.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

John Green's The Fault in Our Stars

What can I say? John Green seems to always hit a home run. The Fault in Our Stars is a wonderful story. Its main character has cancer. Her mom makes her go to a cancer group, where she meets others who have cancer. I know it sounds crazy that I thought this was  a great story, but Hazel's story is heartwarming. Most of us have someone in our lives who have been affected by cancer. This story will make you laugh and cry. I was moved by the lives of the characters and you will be too.

Ruby Red by KerstinGier

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier starts a time traveler series. Apparently, there are only a few families who inherit a special gene which is the time traveler gene. Okay, yes you have to suspend reality, but isn't that what reading is all about? There is some historical fiction, where the travelers go back in time to old time England. There is a little romance, and of course some manipulation and suspense.

The series continues with Sapphire Blue and finishes with Emerald Green. Gier has a nice writing style and does not overwhelm with the love story, but it adds a nice flare. The adventure of the travelers is engaging, while incorporating the historical nuances. I truly enjoyed this series and was very pleased when Emerald Green finally came out!

 

The Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth

 

Veronica Roth does not dissapoint in her Divergent trilogy, Divergent, Insuregent, and Allegiant. I just finished the final book in the trilogy and the only thing I was disappointed in was that I had to wait for Allegiant to come out in October, before I could finish it. Usually with a series, the last book is just okay. Roth does a great job of keeping up the intensity an adventure in this one.

The series is another futuristic dystopic society, which I guess you could compare to Hunger Games.  But this has less of the glitz and glamour of Hunger Games and more of a grim reality. I am not saying I think our future is destined for a society of factions, which is how they break out different groups, as opposed to the Districts in Hunger Games. Divergent sets the scene in the future United States, where things have gone terribly wrong. Society is broken into factions. Each faction has a different trait, in which they are responsible for a job in society. At a certain age you are given the opportunity to test and select a different faction than the one you grew up in. Just because you select another faction does not mean you are qualified for that faction. You must prove yourself. The entire process is gruesome, but Roth keeps the reader engrossed.

Each book in the series has its own challenges. This is a must read if you are into futuristic society!

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

S.A. Bodeen's The Compound

 

I supposed I am stuck on reading more futuristic, dystopia, but this one is an intriguing story. It is about one dad, who builds a nuclear safe compound, underground to protect his family from a nuclear disaster. He stocks the compound so that they can survive for 15 years. Can you imagine being locked together with your family, full time, for 15 years? You have to read this, as there is a definite plot twist.