Fallen by Lauren Kate

Lucinda Price was sent to a reform school for something horrible that happened during the summer with a boy named Tommy. Her once long, beautiful black hair was burnt away along with her sanity. Luce does not know if the Shadows she sees that move and reach out to her is reality or some sort of illusion. At this school, the Shadows play a larger role in Lucinda’s life. She can touch them and for the first time… they can touch her as well. Luce’s new friends are anything from normal and the boys she finds herself stuck in between happen to be the big shots on campus. Cam, the “bad-boy”, openly shows his affection towards Luce while Daniel, the mysterious boy, keeps to himself and only socializes with Luce when he deems necessary. The mysterious Shadows that always creep up on Luce have gotten exceedingly worse throughout her stay at the school. They have reached the point where they can cloud any vision and block her from safe exits. The shadows go so far that they get an innocent boy killed. Meanwhile, secrets begin to form and rivalries become all too clear. A love triangle leaves Lucinda confused of who to choose. Lucinda’s life has become a crazy drama which she did not sign on for. What is to become of Luce when she finds out the true colors and species of her closest friends?

Posted by Hannah Peterson

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

In Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See, Lily is in the middle of everything. Middle class, middle child, and most likely will make a middle class marriage. Little does Lily know that because of the shape of her feet, which is so important in mid-nineteenth century China, her fate will change. She will be able to make a lifelong friend that is known as a laotong. This girl, named Snow Flower, is from an upper class family and could help Lily make a great marriage which is the goal of every girl in China at this time. Through writing a secret language only known by women called Nu Shu, Lily and Snow Flower are able to communicate. They grow up together and become young women, the best of friends, while they record key events on a silken fan. They get through the painful years of foot binding together, they deal with tragic losses, and they must stick together when dark secrets of Snow Flowers past are revealed, threatening to tear them apart forever. This story shows the value of true friendship and the strength that women can bring when they stick together.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is a romantic novel about a young girl named Angel, who is sold into prostitution at a young age. When Michael Hosea comes along, things begin to change for Angel. Michael marries Angel and brings her to his home. Slowly Angel begins to fall in love with Michael, but then starts to realize that she doesn’t deserve him and can’t give him what he wants. She is too ashamed of her horrible past to be with Michael. Angel runs away numerous times, but every time she returns to Michael something new is learned about herself. In the end, Angel finds out that it is not Michael who can save her from her past, but instead it’s God.

The Girl who Played with Fire

Steig Larsson’s novel The Girl who Played with Fire is the second book in a trilogy following his first work, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Larsson, a Swedish author, combines writing styles to form a thrilling mystery that is guaranteed to grab the attention of almost any reader. The main character, Lisbeth Salander, is a rebellious, antisocial, young woman who has her own set of rules and ideals. She has abnormal hacking skills, a photographic memory, and almost no friends. In the first novel, Salander collaborates with Michael Blomkvist, the publisher of a failing Millenium magazine, to solve two mysteries, the Wennerstrom affair and the Vanger kidnapping. Their teamwork earns both of them substantial rewards, but shortly after their victory, Salander embarks on an indefinite leave around the world. She cuts of all contact with Blomkvist leaving him with bruised feelings. As the second novel begins, Salander decides to return to Stockholm, where both Blomkvist and herself live, but continues to avoid him at all costs. Back at Millenium, Blomkvist begins to involve himself with the research of Dag Svensson. Svensson and his girl friend, Johansson, have been researching and naming men involved in Stockholm’s sex trade including: policemen, government officials, and Zala. Great efforts were taken to keep their research a secret, but when Blomkvist finds the two dead in their apartment, he realizes they must have found something that threatened a powerful, violent figure. Another man, Neils Bjurman, Salander’s sadistic guardian who raped her over a year ago, is also found dead. The murder weapon found at Svensson’s apartment belongs to Bjurman and has Salander’s finger prints all over it. The police immediately begin a search for Lisbeth with no luck. Weeks pass and the both the police and Blomkvist’s investigations come to many dead ends.

As the search progresses, Larsson shifts point of view rapidly to allow the reader into the minds of Blomkvist, Salander, the police, and murderer. This action packed book will keep you flipping the pages late into the night; however, the content of the novel is geared toward an adult audience. The subject, sex trafficking, is very interesting but also very mature. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to any mystery loving, mature reader.

Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Luiz Zafon

Shadow of the Wind is the chilling and compelling novel about the interwoven lives of Daniel Sempere and Julian Carax. The novel begins when Daniel chooses a book written by Julian Carax called “Shadow of the Wind” in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. The novel Daniel selects proves to be enthralling and he can’t put it down. However, when he tries to find more about Julian and read more of his works, he finds that there is nearly no information on the mysterious man. Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Luiz Zafon takes place in Barcelona starting in 1945 when Daniel is 10 up until his adult years as he struggles to piece together the story of Julian’s life. The novel also goes back in time when talking about Julian’s journey.
Filled with forbidden love, deep secrets and friendship, Shadow of the Wind is one of the best books I have ever read. Though long, it is a fast read because of the genius way that Carlos Luiz Zafon weaves together the similar stories of Daniel and Julian. This search for the truth and story of Julian puts Daniel and his friend Fermin in conflict with Inspector Fumero, a man known for his cruelty. As the novel goes on, the plot becomes more and more tangled as secrets are revealed. However as soon as one problem is solved, another problem quickly presents itself. The creative way that Zafon ties in the two stories of Daniel and Julian is flawless. If you like books about romance, secrets, and action, then Shadow of the Wind is perfect for you!

Unlike most love novels of the day, concerning only short lived romances that last for a while, and then come to a predictable end, Dear John introduces readers to true love: love that lasts a lifetime. John Tyree, a sergeant in the army, is taking his third leave in Wilmington, North Carolina, his hometown. Joining the army has changed his life for the better. Before he enlisted he was on the fast track to nowhere, but now he has a sense of purpose. John believes that this leave will just be a nice, relaxing break from the stress and structure of army life, but he has never been more wrong. One normal day at the beach, he helps a young woman retrieve her bag from the ocean, and this random act of kindness will change his life forever.

Savannah Lynn Curtis is volunteering for Habitat for Humanity during her summer break. She is staying with a group from her college in one of the beach houses in Wilmington, North Carolina. One day as she is walking along the pier, her bag falls into the water, but a complete stranger jumps in to save it. Through this event, Savannah and John’s lives are irrevocably changed.

Since John is in the army, his relationship with Savannah is difficult. He is away for months at a time, and he can barely ever communicate with her. Soon, multiple disasters strike in the form of 9/11, the war in Iraq, and John’s father’s death. This puts a great strain on John’s relationship with Savannah, and he tries everything he can to save it.

Nicolas Sparks, the author of Dear John, beautifully tells the story of two people’s undying love for each other, even through so many trials. Savannah and John must find a way to overcome their separation, or risk being separated themselves. I recommend Dear John to any person who loves the author Jodie Picoult, or even any person who enjoys an amazing love story.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

In the novel, The Body Finder, a teenage girl named Violet deals with remembering a haunting past. Violet gets these odd echoes that lead her to the bodies of dead people and animals, especially those who have been murdered. Even as a young girl at the age of eight she leads her father to the body of a brutally murdered young girl about the same age as her. Then a few years later when everything seems to be normal; a few echoes are heard and many girls show up missing in the small town that Violet lives in. It is not until Violet is lead to one of the girls missing body that she realizes there is a serial killer on the loose that is wanting young girls. Even with her echoes Violet cannot determine who the actual killer is until she comes face to face with him and it is almost too late.

This novel is not only horrifying and suspenseful, but also a love story as well. While Violet is trying to solve who the serial killer really is she is also trying to figure out how she really feels about her best friend Jay. They have been friends since she can remember and now she is beginning to experience a different kind of love for him. She can only think about Jay and wonders how he feels about her too. But will Jay realize how Violet feels when everything else is happening around town?