I Heart You, You Haunt Me July 10, 2008

Title: I Heart You, You Haunt Me

Author: Lisa Schroeder

Summary: Written in verse, this short novel is a moving story about loss, grief, and the power of love. Ava’s boyfriend Jackson died suddenly in a terrible accident at the end of the school year. As Ava grieves, she thinks she sees Jackson’s face when she looks in the mirror, although she knows it’s just her guilt and grief. But then Ava begins to sense his presence - a blast of cold air in the room, the CD player turning on. Soon, she can even hear his voice and see him in her dreams. Ava is being haunted.

Ava’s friends and family urge her to move on and live her life, while she is determined to spend as much time with Jackson as she can. But what kind of relationship can you have with a ghost?

Who will like this book?: Fans of ghost stories and impossible romances. Readers of verse novelists like Sonya Sones and Ellen Hopkins. People looking for a quick read with a good story.

If you like this, try this: Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin. For a more intense ghost story, check out A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know April 4, 2008

 

Title: What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know

Author: Sonya Sones

Summary: The good news for Robin: Sophie, the beautiful, popular girl of his dreams, is his girlfriend, even after school break is over. The bad news? Now Sophie is just as unpopular as he is, dumped by her best friends. Even though Sophie stands by Robin, relationships are never easy when you are 14 and all you can think about is kissing your girlfriend and what could happen next…as Robin learns when he begins taking art classes at nearby Harvard, with a group of college kids who accept him for who he truly is: a smart, funny, talented artist.

This terrific sequel can be read on its own. It is a novel in verse - so even though it looks like a long book you can read it in less than two hours. While not many people could stand up to their friends and classmates the way Sophie and Robin do, it’s nice to see that even a guy whose last name is slang for ‘loser’ might secretly be the coolest kid in (the college) class. So don’t be a Murphy - read this book!

Who will like this book?: Fans of the first story about Sophie and Robin, told from her point of view: What My Mother Doesn’t Know, and guys looking for a quick, funny story.

If you like this, try this: Other books by Sones, like One of those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies. Or try something by Ellen Hopkins, if you want something written in the same style, but way, way, way more edgy, dark, and intense.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian