The Watch That Ends the Night by Allan Wolf

The Watch That Ends the Night

by Allan Wolf

This weekend marks 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.  If you are just learning about that disastrous night or if you have been a long time Titanic buff, you should pick up Allan Wolf's The Watch That Ends the Night.  It's a novel in verse that gives voice to many of the real life passengers aboard the Titanic from the time before it set sail to days after the sinking.  Some of the voices include the ship rat, and yes, it is an actual rat's point of view of life aboard the Titanic.  The more famous passengers like John Jacob Aster, the millionaire, and E.J. Smith, the Titanic's captain, also tell their side of the story.  There are lesser known passengers like Jamila Nicola-Yareed, a young teen immigrant who really was aboard the ship, and Wolf has given her a fictional story to tell about what might have happened to her aboard the ship.  There are a few other unexpected "characters" who have a voice in this novel, too, like the iceberg and the first class promenade.

The Watch That Ends the Night is a very compelling read and unlike many books about Titanic.  Since the author gives each character a personal story to tell, the events that unfold the night that the Titanic sinks are even more dramatic because you really care about each character.  Also, a great thing about this book is at the end: the author provides many facts that you should know about the Titanic and the people and things that he gave a voice to in the book.  I definitely feel that after having read the book, that I now know much more about the Titanic story.  I would highly recommend The Watch That Ends the Night to any aged reader who wants a fantastic book that relates the dramatic story of the Titanic.

posted by Colleen, Teen Services Librarian

Unwind reviewed by Rachel

Unwind

by Neal Shusterman

The book Unwind was an amazing book. Even though it was a little extreme, it was awesome! One of the best books not involved in a series or trilogy.

review submitted by Rachel

Want to see the cover of Ellen Hopkins' next novel?

Ew.com's blog, Shelf Life, recently posteda look at cover of Ellen Hopkins' next novel, Tilt, which will hit bookshelves in September.  Check out the cover:

Also, click here to find Crank, one of Hopkins' most popular novels, in the Library. 

posted by Colleen, Teen Services Librarian

Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher

Katcher tells an amazing story in Almost Perfect.  It can be difficult to read because it has some very harsh realities in it.  The story centers on Logan and Sage. Logan's still reeling from a painful breakup with his longtime girl friends Brenda, when Sage walks into his life.  He immediately feels drawn to her. While she's amazing, Sage comes with some restrictions.  She's not allowed to date or leave the house by herself at all.  At first this just seems like a case of strict parents- but then it turns about much much more than that.  Once Logan finds Sage's "secret" out - it changes everything. Logan tries to work through his feelings about who he is and how Sage's secret affects that.  While Logan is often caught up with himself and his own feelings there are tons of different things Sage is dealing with and coping with too.  Logan and Sage's parents are often concerned about how Sage will make them look - not about Sage.  Sage is battling with being her true self, whether or not society will ever accept her and whether she can accept all the hardships that come with just being herself or if perhaps it's not worth it.  

Posted by Renee, Teen Outreach Librarian

Book Trailer of the Week-- Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King

This week's book trailer is for Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King.  Click here to find Everybody Sees the Ants in the Library!

 

posted by Colleen, Teen Services Librarian

Book Trailer of the Week-- Fracture by Megan Miranda

This week's book trailer is for Fracture by Megan Miranda.  Click here to find Fracture in the Library.

 

posted by Colleen, Teen Services Librarian

Book Trailer of the Week-- The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch

This week's book trailer is for Jeff Hirsch's The Eleventh Plague.  Click here to find The Eleventh Plague at the Library!

 

posted by Colleen, Teen Services Librarian

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone centers around Karou, blue haired, lanky, artist and wickedly awesome errand runner.  In her sketchbook Karou draws monstrous characters like Brimstone, Kishmish, Issa and their adventures. Her friends and classmates think these stories and characters are brilliant except, what they don't know, because no one really knows anything about Karou, is that all those character are real.  Brimstone, the Wishmonger, raised her, trained her and now she runs errands for him around the world collecting teeth to exchange for wishes. While Karou is running her errands, frustrated that Brimstone never completely fills her in about why teeth in exchange for wishes, there's danger mounting as black hand prints are found burned into doors all over the world. The same doors Karou uses as a portal to complete her errands.  Whose hand prints are on the doors? Some claim they've seen shadows with wings, others claim the felt a feather grace their skin.  In the middle of Morocco on an errand Karou finds herself face to face with exactly who's been leaving those hand prints and who's out to exact revenge on Brimstone, and once they've met neither of their worlds will ever be quite the same.

Posted by Renee, Teen Outreach Librarian

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles

Leaving Paradise

by Simone Elkeles

Maggie Armstrong had a crush on her best friend’s twin brother, Caleb Becker.  That is until one night,  at a party, Caleb hit Maggie with his car and left her broken in the street.  It’s a year later and Caleb is being released from juvenile detention, convicted of a hit and run while driving drunk.  Maggie has spent the past year in recovery from a devastating leg injury that has left her scarred, with a severe limp, and an outcast.  Caleb is returning home, hoping to find that nothing has changed.  His family, however, is falling apart at the seams.  His girlfriend has moved on to his best friend, and  one moment his friends treat him like he’s the same old Caleb and the next like he’s trash.  Both Maggie and Caleb have lost everything.  Their friends and families have changed because of the accident and no one will ever look at the two of them as they did before.

Maggie and Caleb are keeping secrets about that night, however, secrets that could change everything.  Told in alternating chapters, Leaving Paradise, is a fast and emotion filled read.  It’s not a cry out loud book, but there is a strong undertone of emotion that takes you on a ride.  You feel the anger in both Maggie and Caleb, but you also feel the hopelessness and frustration of each situation.  Yes, there is a romance here, but it’s not the center of the book and it is added in at just the right places.  Though the ending was not what I expected, I was definitely left satisfied.  You’ll love the characters of Maggie and Caleb and feel empowered by how each overcame other peoples’ perceptions of them and in turn became stronger in their own selves.

posted by Colleen, Teen Services Librarian 

Did you catch the premiere of The Lying Game yesterday?

Last night The Lying Game premiered on ABC family.  The TV show is based on the book, The Lying Game by Sara Shepard.  (Click here to find The Lying Game in the Library!)  Shepard also wrote the Pretty Little Liars series, that is also a TV series on ABC family.

MTV.com is reporting that the TV show is going to stray from the book's original story line.  Click here to read the full article that includes the author, Sara Shepard's, point of view on the changes that have been made for TV.  Also, check out the video below to see the actors' points of view on how the TV show will be different from the book:

 

posted by Colleen, Teen Services Librarian