Staff Writer
Summer Reads:
Thirteen Reasons Why
If you like Identical by Ellen Hopkins, then you’ll love Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Two weeks after Hannah’s suicide, Clay comes home to find a box filled with 13 cassette tapes, one for each reason his crush, Hannah, committed suicide. In this heart wrenching tale, Clay will travel through periods of depression and confusion in order to find out how he made Hannah’s list of reasons.
Twenty Boy Summer
As a fan of the Endless Summer series by Jennifer Echols, you’ll appreciate Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler. Best friends Anna and Frankie are on vactation in Zanzibar Bay when Anna agrees to play one of Frankie’s lighthearted games. If they meet one boy everyday in Zanzibar Bay, Frankie believes Anna will find her first summer romance. When tragedy struck in Frankie’s family a year before the vacation at Zanzibar Bay, Anna kept a secret from Frankie, which could jeopardize their relationship. Twenty Boy Summer features the key components of a beach-read: hardship, secrets, and most of all, love.
The Fault in Our Stars
If you like Ask the Passengers by A.S. King then you’ll love The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. When Hazel, a 16-year old girl stricken with Stage IV thyroid cancer, met Augustus Waters, Hazel had her doubts at first. As time passes, Augustus changes Hazel’s outlook on life, death, and the legacy that everyone leaves behind. WARNING: Both books are tear jerkers.
Romance:
As a fan of The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks, you’ll appreciate The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen. The Moon and More, much like The Last Song, is set in a North Carolina beach town. The novel surrounds Emaline, a high school graduate, who is having a hard time figuring out what to do with her life. Emaline is finding it difficult to move on from Colby, North Carolina where she grew up. Sarah Dessen attracts teen readers again with a story of romance and a decision to be made.
Safe Haven
If you enjoyed The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood, you’ll love Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks. Both novels feature a story that is tear-worthy, and have both been developed into movies.
Action and Adventure:
Looking for Alaska
If Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X Stork was an enjoyable read, then you’ll love Looking for Alaska by John Green. Miles “Pudge” Halter’s life has been a boring blur until he heads off to Culver Creek Boarding School. There he meets Alaska Young, a gorgeous and funny girl who pulls him into her exciting world. John Green is one of this year’s most talked about authors and Looking for Alaska proves why.
The Casual Vacancy
If you enjoyed the Harry Potter series, then you’ll love J.K. Rowling’s newest book, The Casual Vacancy. The novel contains the same writing style of the Harry Potter series, but The Casual Vacancy is
more mature than the famous series. When a member on the parish council dies an early death, Pagford, an English town surrounded by war, is in shock. How will Pagford handle their biggest war yet? Classics:
As a fan of Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote (or you’ve just seen the movie), you’ll appreciate The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Jay Gatsby left love behind as he served overseas. Five years later, Gatsby comes back to find out his love, Daisy, has already married. After the war, Gatsby devotes himself to the power of wealth, in order to win Daisy back. Remember to catch the movie, premiering on May 10, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan.
The Hobbit
For readers of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer you’d enjoy The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Both books combine an adventure beyond the main character’s imagination and experiences.
