Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks

Another amazing book from Lauren Myracle:

Carly is a free-spirit–she loves dressing like a flower child, listening to sixties music, and doing everything she can to differentiate herself from her fellow students at Holy Redeemer High School, including her sister Anna.

Over the summer, Anna transformed from Carly’s little sis into a beautiful high school freshman with an enviable figure.

The girls’ relationship is tested numerous times over the course of the semester when confronted with crazy hair, high dives, boys, new friends, ex-friends, clueless parents, parties, and of course, baby ducks.

This is a wonderful book!  As usual, Ms. Myracle presents us with a wonderful (albeit flawed) main character who we’d love to hang out with.  Throughout the novel, we love Carly, regardless of her missteps.  We wince when her hair is ruined, silently plead with her to recognize Roger for the great catch that he is, and cheer every time she and Anna manage to work things out.

A fast, fun & perfect beach read!

~Tricia is the CPL teen librarian and loves everything she’s read by Lauren Myracle.

Reality Check by Peter Abrahams

Cody is the star QB of his high school football team and because of this he has bright prospects for his future–even though he’s never been that great of a student.

He’s also in love with an amazing girl named Clea.

Cody’s world comes crashing down when Clea’s father sends her to boarding school to separate her from Cody.  Trying to do the right thing, Cody breaks up with Clea before she leaves, so that nothing from her past life (including himself) will be able to hold her back.  To add insult to injury, Cody blows out his knee at the beginning of his junior year and all his hopes of attending college on a football scholarship disappear.

After giving up on ever escaping his hometown, Cody receives a letter from Clea and then discovers that she’s gone missing from her Vermont prep school.  Cody leaves home, drives to Vermont, and starts his own search for Clea.  How far will he have to go to find her?

Prom Dates from Hell

Prom Dates from Hell is the first book in a wonderful series titled–Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil written by Rosemary Clement-Moore.  Maggie is a smart, witty, psychic teenager on the fringes of her high school’s social scene.  A clique of popular seniors are falling prey to their darkest fears and Maggie may be the only person who can  help them, whether she wants to or not.

I could not put this book down and had to finish it in one sitting.  Maggie is awesome!  I haven’t adored a demon-fighting teenager this much since Buffy!  Like Buffy, Maggie is snarky, loyal and tough, BUT she has to fight evil without the benefit of Buffy’s super-strength or popularity.

I am dying to read the next two Maggie Quinn books:

Hell Week where Maggie tries to infiltrate an evil sorority and Highway to Hell which tells the story of a road trip that takes a turn for the worse when Maggie and her friend Lisa get stranded in a creepy town in Texas.

If you’re looking for a fun, fast, slightly scary read you won’t be disappointed with one of Maggie’s adventures.

~Tricia is the CPL teen services librarian and has started (re)watching her Buffy DVDs after being inspired by the evil-fighting prowess of Maggie Quinn.