Running Out of Time

Running Out of Time

Jessie, a thirteen year old, has been raised in a town called Clifton. She thinks it is the year 1840. She is perfectly happy with her lifestyle, until her mother tells her the truth. Clifton is tourist/research site and the year is actually 1996. Clifton's residents are dying from diphtheria and modern medicine is refused to the residents. Her mother asks Jessie to go outside of the world she is so used to and seek help. Throughout the book there are betrayals and intrigues. Jessie even runs for her own life and the lives of others.

This book reminded me of the movie, "The Village", but I enjoyed it. I read it within a day. It is a very intriguing book and I do recommend it. It was written by Margaret Peterson Haddix. THERE IS A LINK TO HER WEBSITE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED. This book was written in 1995.

CAUTION: You might get frustrated with many of the adults in the book, like so many they don't listen to a thirteen year old girl.

A Mango Shaped Space By Curtis

A Mango Shaped Space

A Mango-Shaped Space

This book was written in 2005 by Wendy Mass. THIS IS A LINK TO HER WEBSITE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED.

Mia is a unique individual. Everything she sees and hears she sees a color with. Particular letters or numbers she sees these different colors. Later in the book, it is revealed that this is a condition called synaesthesia. This is a condition not a disease, but as Mia discovers this about herself she goes on a self-identity journey. Mia has hidden this ability from her family and friends all of her life, but now she is having difficulty in school and she must come to terms with telling the truth. She talks to her parents. In the beginning, they think she's lying to get out of a bad grade. Then they think there might be something wrong with her, but in the end they discover her syndrome. Mia has to deal with school as well as friends who don't necessarily understand, siblings who are going through their own changes, she learns that life changes all of the time, and she learns that normal is not what she wants after all.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and I highly recommend it.

CAUTION: You may get irritated with Mia in the middle of the book, but keep pushing through.

Dreadlocks

Dreadlocks

Parker notices something strange is going on and soon as his neighbor, Tara, moves into town. She's mysterious and he's attracted. She's always wearing sunglasses and doesn't apologize for anything that she does. The more she stays in his town the more he realizes that she is changing people around him. Parker knows that she is even changing him. Later, in the book he begins to suspect the impossible that she is Medusa. A Greek mythological character who turns people into stone with one glance of the eye. By the end of the book, Parker realizes that she has turned him into another Medusa. There is a showdown of sorts, and he is trapped for eternity staring into the eyes of Medusa.

Dreadlocks was written by Neil Shusterman. THERE IS A LINK TO HIS WEBSITE IN CASE YOU'RE INTERESTED.

CAUTION: It starts out seeming like a humor book, but ended up with a serious tone. Keep trudging along.

I really did enjoy reading this book. This was an intriguing book, and I would recommend it.

Locked Inside

Locked Inside

Marnie has secluded herself from anyone and everyone that she could even be close to. She spends most of her time playing a computer game; especially with a particular character named Elf. They grow a respect for each other. Marnie's mother Skye was killed in an airplane crash five years ago. Marnie can't let anyone close to her just like her mother. Marnie is later kidnapped, and she has to learn some things about herself as well as secrets about her mother.

Locked Inside was written by Nancy Werlin It was written in 2000. Nancy Werlin did a very good job writing about Marnie's character and the dangers of secluding yourself from others. Not allowing people to get to know the person inside. I really did enjoy this book. It was suspenseful and enjoyable.

CAUTION: There is mild language.

After the First Death

After the First Death

I absolutely loved the way this book was put together. After the First Death was written by Robert Cormier. HERE IS A LINK TO A WEBSITE FOR MORE ABOUT CORMIER.

The book started with the end result and worked its way backwards. It went back and forth between present and past to show the reader how these people got to this particular point. There is a certain mystery to the storyline. It tells the story of many different people who ended up playing a major part in the story. The story talks from different character's points of view.

The story is about the taking hostage of a school bus. The first character is a boy who talks about how he got shot in the chest. It then goes to the point of view of the terrorist. There is a sympathetic young boy. This is his "initiation". He ends up feeling sympathetic for the young bus driver who is his same age. It then talks from the driver's point of view. It continues this progression until it gets to the end. There are many character developments and tragedies that happen in this book. I loved the way this book was written. It was sad, but it was good.

CAUTION: There is language, slight nudity, moments of violence especially near the end and specifically violence towards children.

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac



I thought this book was such an interesting book. I liked Naomi's character after her amnesia; which sounds strange, but the character that she became afterward was much improved.

Before her accident, Naomi was so busy trying to impress everyone else that she didn't take the time to get to know herself. Naomi falls downs the stairs and hits her head, from then on she tries to figure out who she was, is, and should be. Naomi is best friends with Will; however, after her accident she becomes very distant from him. She is drawn to James, the boy who brought her into the hospital. She tries to figure out why she was dating Ace in the first place, and learns some things about herself as well as her family. She and James are drawn to each other because of their own personal tragedies, after they are able to work through these personal trials they realize they no longer have any attraction to one another. Naomi realizes that it was Will, it was always Will. In the end she was able to go through a journey of self-discovery and come out a better person.
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac was written by Gabrielle Zevin in 2007. THERE IS A LINK TO HER WEBSITE IN CASE YOU WANTED TO VISIT IT.

CAUTION: There is some mild language, sexual content, and alcoholic content.