"Fragments" by Jeffry W. Johnston

"We're dealing with fragments here. Pieces that, by themselves, are hard to understand. But if we could figure out how they fit together..."
-Jeffry W. Johnston, Fragments

 You know, nothing about this book fit together. I can't piece together any good reason to ever read this book. Sure, I've read worse, but honestly there was nothing exciting about this book.

I knew this time would come. Eventually I knew that I would have to write a bad book review. This book was included in a collection of books loaned to me by a friend. I chose this book for this week because I knew it was not like the others I had been reading. I know I need variety in my reviews, so I thought this would be a good addition to my collection.

I began reading, and I instantly knew it was a book for a younger audience. The writing was simple. I continued reading anyway. I figured it couldn't hurt. But: ouch.

For a quick look at how this book made me feel, watch this video!

Chase is in high school and loves to be in front of an audience. He is the best actor at his school, and everyone knows it. Unfortunately, his acting is not the reason he gets attention. The whispers in the halls spread because of the scars on his wrists. Chase attempted suicide. Twice.

Recently, Chase was in a terrible car accident. He was drunk, but he didn't drive. He called his ex-girlfriend, Angie, to pick him up. Two of his friends were in the back seat, and he was in the passenger seat. A drunk driver met them on a sharp turn, but Angie couldn't swerve quickly enough. Chase was the only survivor.

His older brother, Ben, was troubled and was in jail, but his parents basically disowned him. Chase desperately wanted them to forgive Ben because he felt that all of Ben's troubles were his fault. Ultimately it lead to suicidal thoughts.

Most of the story tells of him having flashbacks that the reader doesn't understand, then he goes to his therapist and doesn't tell her anything. It's extremely repetitive. All of his secrets are revealed and all of the flashbacks are explained in the last chapter or so. They were shocking and unexpected, which was good, but that was the only time I really felt any emotion during this book: a whole 2 seconds.

Overall, it was just rather dull. Nothing kept me reading the book, other than the fact that I knew I needed to have a blog written by the end of the week. There was no pull, nothing at the end of each chapter leaving me wanting more.

Unless you want to be incredibly bored, I wouldn't recommend this book.

I'm not saying that suicide is not a serious issue. Those things should not be read lightly. I understand the importance of the message about suicide, but the overall plot was just a dud.

***

Do you agree? Do you disagree? If you've read this book, what did you think? Share your thoughts here!

Make sure to like my Facebook page and follow me on Twitter for updates! That way you can contact me directly with suggestions or comments! Always feel free to comment right here, as well!

"Night Road" by Kristin Hannah

"Maybe time didn't heal wounds exactly, but it gave you a kind of armor or new perspective. A way to remember with a smile instead of a sob."
-Kristin Hannah, Night Road

Everyone has a best friend. I'm not talking about a huge group of friends that you see at school or work, or the people you talk to during the day just to get by. I'm talking about that one best friend that completes you, that knows you better than yourself. No matter what, they are there.

When I say everyone, I mean everyone but Lexi. Lexi grew up with a drug-addict mother, who was in and out of prison, leaving Lexi in foster care most of the time. Dad was out of the picture, so Lexi had no family, or so she thought. Finally, when Lexi was 14, she discovered she had family.

Her great aunt Eva took her in to love and care for her. Because she was 14, it was time for her to start high school. She was used to being the new girl in a school since she had lived with multiple families over the years. She knew the tricks of blending in, and she did the best she could to not be noticed.

She succeeded in being invisible until she got to her first class. A boy approached her and spoke to her. He was so cute, he left her speechless. Of course, another girl came and led him away. It was obvious he was Mr. Popular at this school, so she knew she shouldn't even bother. But she just couldn't figure out why he came to her.

Soon enough it was time for lunch. Lunch on the first day is the worst! Where do you sit? Lexi took her packed lunch and her copy of Jane Eyre outside to sit in the sunlight. She spots a girl sitting under a tree, in a pink skirt and high top Converse shoes. She immediately likes this girl. Lexi tries to speak to her, but she says that talking to her would be considered "social suicide" and that she would never be a cheerleader if she did. Lexi said she cared nothing about that. The two instantly become friends.

Mia invited Lexi over to her house--her huge, rich-person house. Soon after they got there, the door burst open and several kids her age spilled inside. The cute boy from that morning was there! He walked over to Mia and started talking to her, then he noticed Lexi and froze. Mia introduced him: her twin brother, Zach. Oh no. Lexi knew she didn't need to be attracted to this boy if she wanted to have a good friendship with Mia. This wasn't going to be easy.

After a detailed telling of how Lexi met her new best friend, Mia, the book skips to their senior year. Lexi and Mia are still inseparable. Lexi loved Mia's family, and they loved her in return. Little did they know, Lexi would dramatically change their lives.

This story is told in third person; however, it is told from two different perspectives: Lexi's and Jude's, Mia's mother. Through both perspectives, the reader can see what a teenager goes through, but at the same time what a mother goes through during the same situations.

Jude is concerned about senior year. What mother wouldn't be? This is a huge year for her children: they have to decide on their future, fill out college applications, keep their grades up, score high on big tests, and do all of that while make the most fond of memories. Seniors loved to make memories by having parties. Seniors also loved to drink at these parties. How does a mother keep her children safe in these environments? She doesn't want to hold them hostage and never let them go out with their friends, but what if they drink? She can't always be there next to them to protect them.

Mia was shy, while Zach had a lot of friends. Zach was always there to protect her and be with her. Jude knew it was so important for them to go to the same college. They are both applying for the same schools, but there is never a way to know what will happen. Jude can't imagine what would happen if they didn't have each other.

OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH! This was ridiculously hard for me to write. I understand that I summarized a lot more than normal, but I promise I gave nothing away! I struggled with avoiding the major parts of the story. There is just SO much to this story. I feel as if this isn't my best review, which is sad because it's one of the best books I've read so far. I laughed, cried, and felt so many other things during this story. Kristin Hannah will throw you for a loop, for sure.

I can't imagine going through what these people went through in the story. Kristin Hannah sculpted this story to perfection. It's not some happy, mushy, unrealistic love story. There are no over the top romantic gestures, or anything like that. The character's reactions are all so realistic to the situations they face.

Night Road takes you through happiness, love, fear, grief, confusion, hopelessness, and back again. The writing in this book is outstanding.

Earlier I mentioned seniors partying and drinking. There are scenes in this book that demonstrate this behavior. There is sexual content; however it is not descriptive. For the most part, anyone can read this book. I believe that the reader should at least be 13 years old, but if a younger reader is mature, it should be fine. Profanity is not absent, but it is scarce.

As far as the drinking goes, I want to take a second to mention drunk driving. It's simple: just don't do it. If you choose to drink, make sure that you have a driver. If you don't have a driver, then don't drink. If you make the mistake to drink when no ride is available, call someone. Driving is never the right choice. Be safe. It's not worth the risk.

Read this book. No, that's not a suggestion, it is a DEMAND! No regrets accompany this read! After reading, tell me what you think! Or simply tell me what you thought of the review! Good? Bad? Anything! Anyone can leave comments right here!

***

Readers, don't forget to like my new page on Facebook!  Also follow me on twitter, simply by clicking the button on the right of the page!

"A Stolen Life" by Jaycee Dugard

"Lonely, that's how I feel. Lonely and incomplete. I want to run, but have no idea where to run to. I want to yell, but I don't want to hurt anybody. I want to say something, but I don't know what to say. Love is the easy part; it's the living without the love you need that is hard."
-Jaycee Dugard, A Stolen Life

Jaycee Dugard was 11 years old when she was kidnapped down the street from her very own home in Lake Tahoe. She was walking to meet the bus to go to school that morning when a man pulled up next to her, rolled down the window, and asked for directions. He immediately used a stun gun on her, and she fell to the ground. Jaycee tried to scramble away from him on the ground, but he grabbed her by her legs and threw her into the back of his vehicle. Shoving her in the floorboard, he covered her with a thick blanket and placed something heavy on top of her.

Unfortunately, this story is not fiction like the other books I write about. This week I decided to read a memoir. Everything in this post is true. Some of you may remember seeing about her story in the news. She was found and rescued recently in 2009, just four years ago. That man, Phillip Garrido, kept her captive for 18 years. I'm only 20, so I couldn't imagine being taken away from my family, my friends, and my entire world for 18 years. That is the majority of my lifetime.

I'm not going to go into detail about the physical and mental abuse Phillip Garrido put her through. I feel as though I have no right to try to explain her situation in my own words. I honestly have no words. There is no other way to explain what happened besides the way she does in her memoir. Her life was taken from her; not physically, but she didn't get to live her life. She never got to go to high school, or college. She never got to get her driver's license. She never had a first crush, first kiss, first love, or first anything. In 2009, when she was reunited with her mother, sister, and aunt, she finally got to experience things life had to offer her.

She got to begin a new life with her family, along with her two daughters. She had her first daughter when she was 14, and her second when she was 17. The girls were raised in Phillip Garrido's "backyard."

I've always seen these kinds of stories on the news, but I never really gave them much thought. They always seemed like just "stories." The news doesn't tell you how it affected the person, though. You only find out the facts: who was the victim, who was the criminal, what happened, when, where, how, etc. Reading A Stolen Life really made me realize what actually happens. It makes me sick that people actually treat other people in ways like Phillip Garrido treated Jaycee.

Read Jaycee Dugard's  memoir, A Stolen Life, and see what she went through.

Since her rescue, Jaycee has founded the JAYC foundation, Inc. (Just Ask Yourself to Care). The focus of JAYC is to serve families that have experienced abduction or other traumatic experiences through compassion and educational programs. You can give donations, purchase the book, or purchase apparel on the JAYC Web site (link provided above). Visit the site to see more information.

"Slammed" by Colleen Hoover

"Push your boundaries...that's what they're there for."
- Colleen Hoover, Slammed

Layken, along with her younger brother, Kel, and her mother, Julie, moved from Texas to Michigan after her father died. As soon as they pull the U-haul into the driveway, Kel sees a boy his age and instantly begins fighting him with an imaginary sword. Layken decides to sulk in the driver's seat, not excited about her new house -- not home. Kel approaches her and tries to bring her into the games. She hops out of the truck to chase after her little brother and his new friend when she runs into the little boy's older brother. His very cute older brother! There is an instant attraction between the two, and oh, what do you know? He lives across the street. PERFECT!!

After a few encounters over the next couple of days, Will, the cute boy across the street, asks her on a date. No dinner, no movie, but no disappointments. Layken couldn't have asked for a better date, and she couldn't wait to see him again.

Monday morning rolls around and Layken has to go to her new school. Lost and looking for her third period class, she sees Will! Not sure why he is there, she gets excited anyway and runs to him and hugs him. He pushes her away, wide-eyed. Why is he being so weird? She begins to assume he is there to visit his girlfriend, so she storms off, angry. He tells her to wait, just as a student comes outside of the classroom: "Mr. Cooper?"

OH. MY. GOSH. He's the teacher??

Sure, we've all had a crush on our teacher at some time. You get to class on that first day, and the teacher is young and SO cute. Don't deny it, it's happened to all of us! Especially for the boys. Countless times have I heard of the new "hot" teacher. Normally we just sit in our desk and drool over the teacher; we don't necessarily go on a date with him/her.

To be fair, Layken didn't know. What now? There is no way a teacher can date a student! They somehow have to stay away from each other, but how will that work when they live across the street and her desk is in the front row of his third period class? Find out in Slammed!

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO AN EXCERPT FROM "SLAMMED!!"
http://jschool.troy.edu/~advtech115/required.html
(I recorded this myself!)

***

After reading Hoover's Slammed, make sure to read the sequel, Point of Retreat. It's from Will's point of view instead of Layken's but it picks up where the first left off. I didn't think Slammed could be topped, but Hoover proved me wrong! These books are "butterflying" amazing!

Let me know what you think! I hope you love these books just as much as I do!