Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Summary: Anna is new at the whole "boarding school" situation. Especially when the boarding school is in Paris! Yet Anna is still not leaving Atlanta right before starting her Senior year with her amazing best friend, a job at the local movie theater, and a crush who she thinks might just be crushing back on her. So when Anna is suddenly thrown into this new world not knowing a soul, she luckily finds two new friends right next door--one of them being a fabulous and charming English boy named St. Clair. Anna is starstruck, yet cannot act because of all the emotions flitting around in their friendship. As St. Clair and Anna grow to become great friends with a flirty touch, trouble strikes at both homes. Can Anna and St. Clair work it out, and can Anna unwrap her true feelings to get her French kiss?
Review: This book was a quick read but a very enjoyable read at that. Any girl reading will instantly fall in love with the flirty yet charming character of St. Clair and his relationship with Anna. I know I did! This book is a great book to grab and take around for summer as it is light and fun yet heartfelt as well.
Recommendation: Probably for girls 14-18. Some content is mature, but it is mostly wholehearted fun in the high school world of romance.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Summary: Set in a dystopian society of Panem, Katniss Everdeen is basically raising her family. Her younger sister Primrose and her depressed mother could not survive without the black market meat she hunts for everyday with her best friend Gale Hawthorne. The book opens on the reaping day--a day when the male and female "tribute" is randomly chosen from each district to be sent to the Hunger Games in the Capitol. In the Hunger Games, the 12 female and 12 male tributes ages 12-18 must fight it out to the death until one tribute is left standing. So when young Primrose is chosen as the female tribute for district 12, Katniss volunteers to save her sister basically from her death sentence. As Katniss embarks on the journey to the Hunger Games with Peeta Mellark, the male tribute from her district, Katniss tries her hardest to strategize to win the games for her sister. While meeting intense fighters, such as Cato and Clove, and little girls who remind Katniss of home, like little delicate Rue, Katniss fights hard to survive with the loving aid of the charming Peeta. Through love and support Katniss fights through the cruelty of the Hunger Games, bringing her own fire to Panem.
Review: Suzanne Collins is a genious for compacting such a detailed plot into some 350 pages, while all the while creating my favorite character: Peeta Mellark. You could say that I am definitely obsessed with the Hunger Games, and especially the charming Peeta. Definitely a touching and action-packed story--I warn you, you will not be able to stop reading!
Recommendation: I would recommend this book for girls ages 12-any age! As the topic is rather disturbing, the story is filled with passion and dedication that leads to a rebellion of epic proportions.
(I would do the review for #2 and #3, Catching Fire and Mockingjay, but if I did a review the spoilers would be too great. But, if you read the Hunger Games it will be inevitable that you will continue on)
The Fault in Our Stars by John Greene
Summary: Hazel is a 16 year old girl who has an inspiring story. Diagnosed with a terminal cancer at age 13, Hazel thought that she was done for. But when her doctors tried an experimental drug on her and the tumors started going away, Hazel was pronounced as a miracle case. Hazel did not feel that inspired though, as she went into a sort of depression as she was released from the hospital. So when she was sent to a cancer survivor support group, she was not trying to find friends or even love. But Hazel most certainly did. When Augustus Waters, a fellow cancer survivor, shows up at the support group, Hazel can do nothing but stare. As their relationship develops through Augustus's charming lines and motives, Hazel gains hope for life. Through silly dates and Wishes and favorite authors, Augustus and Hazel find a love unlike any other, as they know just how to value the life that a person is given.
Review: This book touched my heart as I cried a river while reading this inspiring and heartfelt novel. Hazel is an image for any girl to look up to as I did myself.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to any girl from the age 14-18. The content is mature and it is one of the saddest books I have personally ever read--but it is most definitely the most inspiring.
All right here goes my first book review/recommendation!
I'm starting out with one of my all time favorite books: Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman.
Summary: This book starts out with an introduction to the very tough life of young CeeCee Honeycutt. It's 1967, and CeeCee is stuck in Ohio with her mother, who is living in the past. Her mother continuously flashes back to her pageant days twenty years earlier, leaving CeeCee to take care of her mother as well as herself. But her mother's life proves to be dangerous when tragedy occurs, leaving CeeCee to be taken in by her previously unknown great aunt Tootie. Warm-hearten and bubbly Tootie sweeps CeeCee away to the sophisticated and beautiful town of Savannah, where CeeCee begins her new life. Suddenly, CeeCee is surrounded by new and eccentric women who all inspire CeeCee in different maternal ways. As she grows over the summer meeting her neighbors and going on very crazy--and very strange--adventures, CeeCee realizes that in Savannah she has met influential women who all care for her as mothers. (For a larger summary: http://bethhoffman.net/the-book)
Review: This book is truly heartwarming and inspiring. Any girl can connect to CeeCee's life as she adapts to her new and very different life. In this book, I also loved the way that Beth Hoffman creates these magnificent and fabulous characters. If you choose to read the book after my review, just note that my favorite character was Violene Hobbs. I could not stop laughing at the irony and wit of Hoffman's genuine writing!
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to any teen girl looking for a great and influential read. The book itself is not very long, so works as a great summer read! My age recommendation would be for girls ages 12-16.
Welcome to my blog: Live to Read. This blog will contain all of my own recommendations and reviews of the best books for teen girls today. Written by a teen girl with a passion for reading, I hope that all those reading--parents and fellow readers--will find my reviews and recommendations helpful and enjoyable!
