Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

I am reading Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen. I love this book so far: it is cute, fun, and entertaining. The novel takes place during Auden’s last summer before college when she visits her father and her stepmother at the beach. Auden is a very deep character who has many different qualities that the reader can see immediately. Since she is such an interesting character it makes the novel a lot better. Auden has missed out on a lot of childhood activities because she was always trying to impress her parents by receiving good grades and excelling in academia. This all changes though when she visits her father and his new family. She now has a new baby sister and must face the challenge of living with people who do not expect her to act like a mini adult but act like a teenager. She has a hard time adjusting to the new people in her life and her new job in a clothing store. So far I really like this book. Auden is interesting and the plot is just beginning to form. I cannot wait to see what will happen to her.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

I just finished Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. In this book there are two main characters, Grace and Sam, who trade off narrating the novel. Sam is boy who whenever the weather becomes cold turns into a wolf. While this has been happening Grace was always the one watching from the outside. For six years they have been watching each other in the woods, unaware of what the other person was. This all changes though was Sam is hunted and is shot causing him to accidently turn into his human form. Grace is the one who saves him and from the moment they meet they fall in love. This book is very good because it does create its one form of a werewolf but once again it is like every other silly werewolf book out right now: The two meet and fall magically in love. However this all occurs within the first fifty or so pages. The main part of the book is Sam and Grace’s attempt to keep the cold weather from making Sam turn back into wolf form. Grace is hoping that their love will stop him from changing but it is useless to think because they know of no cure to save Sam. When I first begin this book I was instantly compelled to the characters. They are funny and likeable people in the book. Even though this book is like others I have read I enjoyed it and would recommend it to others. I would recommend it to others who enjoy reading about werewolf’s and magical worlds. Overall I would give it a four out of five.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

In The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, Belly has always been the odd one out; she was never really accepted into the gang that consisted of her brother, Steven, and her two good friends Conrad and Jeremiah. This all changes though the summer before she turns sixteen for Belly has “become pretty”. Now all the sudden both Conrad and Jeremiah want to be with Belly and she doesn’t know who to choose. Ever since she was young she had been in love with Conrad but now he was different, he had changed and not for the good. The book switches from Belly’s childhood to the present which allows the reader to learn more about the characters and understand why the act now. The book is all about summer for everything that Belly defines as happiness has occurred in the summer with the boys. I really liked this book it had a very sweet and surprising ending. In just a few chapters Belly becomes a real person and leaps off the page. She is extremely likeable and I enjoyed the book a lot. I would recommend this book to others.