Social Issues

This is the story of Lennie, a teenage girl who is coming of age after the untimely death of her older sister. Unsure how to cope, Lennie ends up in a passionate solace seeking romance with her sister's boyfriend. This relationship is further complicated by the arrival of the boy of Lennie's dreams. The novel takes you along with Lennie on a sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking journey as she struggles to find her place in a world without her sister.

The character development in this book is phenomenal. Lennie's voice is brave and humorous. Julia Whelan perfectly captures this voice - from Lennie's teenage sarcasm to her deepest longings. The secondary characters, Lennie's grandmother and her pot-smoking Uncle Big, lend heartwarming charm to the narrative as they support Lennie the best way they know how.

If you like gritty young adult novels that don't shy away from mature content, you will love The Sky is Everywhere. It is written for teenagers but its themes of falling in love and coping with death will resonate with readers of all ages.

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At the beginning of this audiobook, I wondered if something was wrong with the recording. I asked myself, “Why are the chapters formatted this way?” I quickly realized they were formatted like numbers on a scale, and this was an appropriate choice for a book about a teenage girl with an eating disorder.

“Just eat!” her loved ones demand.

But for Lia, it isn’t that simple. She is broken, and no one seems skilled enough to put her pieces back together. Her mother, a surgeon, treats her like a case study. Her father, newly married, is too busy. And her best friend Cassie, who also struggles with an eating disorder, has just been found dead. The most helpful person in the story seems to be Elijah, a young drifter who works at the hotel where Cassie died. Lia tells herself to stay strong by staying empty. Her weight keeps dropping.

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In the end it is Elijah who most effectively pushes Lia toward life.

Author Laurie Halse Anderson writes about an eating disorder with the intimacy of someone who has experienced one. After a little while you realize that there are two ways the story could go. Lia could get better. Or she could die.

Narrator Jeannie Stith brings Lia, in all of her brokenness, to life. Her voice conveys every feeling that Lia experiences – guilt, sadness, anger, loss, hunger, hunger, hunger. And then,
in the end, hope.

“Wintergirls” is a stunning piece of young adult fiction. It is raw and real. It isn’t pretty. It is, in fact, rather ugly. And painful. But if you’ve ever loved someone with an eating disorder, or someone with a touch of madness, you should listen to this book. It will open up your heart even while it is breaking it.

The Chosen One is the story of Kyra, a thirteen year old girl who was raised in a polygamous sect by her father and three mothers along with an abundance of brothers and sisters. Despite her unusual circumstances, Kyra has dreams that any thirteen year old girl could relate to. She is in love with a boy whom she hopes to marry one day. This dream is shattered when The Prophet announces that Kyra is to marry her 60 year old uncle instead.

Kyra must now face some heartbreaking choices. Does she honor the word of The Prophet or follow her own heart? Is she prepared for the devastating consequences of choosing the latter? You will hold your breath as you watch Kyra struggle to choose between family and freedom. You will want to weep when you realize, along with Kyra, the high price that her freedom will cost.

This book is beautifully written and narrated. Writer Carol Lynch Williams perfectly captures the voice of thirteen year old Kyra and narrator Jenna Lamia brings Kyra to life.

ADDED BONUS: At the end of this book, you will enjoy an interview with Williams that covers topics ranging from finding Kyra's voice to Williams' writing process to her advice for other writers. If you enjoy reading YA fiction or aspire to write it yourself, you cannot miss this interview.