Funny Girl

Donna's review of all things bookish!
From the author of The Summer We Fell Apart, an evocative and emotionally resonant coming-of-age novel involving three friends that explores what it means to be happy, what it means to grow up, and how difficult it is to do both togetherThe summer he’s fifteen, Sam enjoys, for a few secret months, the unexpected attention of Suzie Epstein. For reasons Sam doesn’t entirely understand, he and Suzie keep their budding relationship hidden from their close knit group of friends. But as the summer ends, Sam’s world unexpectedly shatters twice: Suzie’s parents are moving to a new city to save their marriage, and his own mother has suddenly left the house, leaving Sam’s father alone to raise two sons.
Watching as her parents’ marital troubles escalate, Suzie takes on the responsibility of raising her two younger brothers and plans an early escape to college and independence. Though she thinks of Sam, she deeply misses her closest friend Bella, but makes no attempt to reconnect, embarrassed by the destructive wake of her parents as they left the only place Suzie called home. Years later, a chance meeting with Sam’s older brother will reunite her with both Sam and Bella - and force her to confront her past and her friends.
After losing Suzie, Bella finds her first real love in Sam. But Sam’s inability to commit to her or even his own future eventually drives them apart. In contrast, Bella’s old friend Suzie—and Sam’s older brother, Michael—seem to have worked it all out, leaving Bella to wonder where she went wrong.
Spanning over a decade, told in alternating voices, The Grown Ups explores the indelible bonds between friends and family and the challenges that threaten to divide them.
Thirty years after her death, Alice Eve Cohen’s mother appears to her, seemingly in the flesh, and continues to do so during the hardest year Alice has had to face: the year her youngest daughter needs a harrowing surgery, her eldest daughter decides to reunite with her birth mother, and Alice herself receives a daunting diagnosis. As it turns out, it’s entirely possible for the people we’ve lost to come back to us when we need them the most.
Although letting her mother back into her life is not an easy thing, Alice approaches it with humor, intelligence, and honesty. What she learns is that she must revisit her childhood and allow herself to be a daughter once more in order to take care of her own girls. Understanding and forgiving her mother’s parenting transgressions leads her to accept her own and to realize that she doesn’t have to be perfect to be a good mother.
Soon, Sydney finds herself captivated by her mysterious and attractive neighbor, Ridge. She can't take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either. They soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one.
A passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance, Maybe Someday will immerse readers in Sydney’s tumultuous world from the very first page.
Another listing of the young adult novels I've read over the past few months. Lots of good ones and no duds in this grouping 🙂 On to the books..........
Wonderful story about a girl who is an outcast at school, but who learns how to love herself through making musical connections. Great characters and writing, and while I wasn't familiar with all of the music, there is a playlist accompanying the book which is a great add on feature. My review...........4 stars
I'm not known to have a good connection with most award winning books, but in this case I completely agree! This book was told in verse (another thing that I'm not a fan of), and it completely captivated me! I loved this book, it was just so well written and the pages flew by. Definitely a must read! My review.........5 stars
Great coming of age story about teen boys. Not a lot of books written with teen boys as the main characters, so I enjoyed this aspect. I thought the beginning was a bit confusing, but it was cleared up mid point and was probably more my fault for not catching on. Best part of the story was one of the secondary characters who has his own book out now (Hold Me Closer). My review..........3 stars
My first time reading Harry Potter (I know I know, no scoffing allowed). I was making a trip to Universal and decided that I needed to bite the bullet and read at least one book before visiting Harry Potter world. I've always avoided these because I'm not a wizards and magic kind of reader. Surprisingly enough I really liked this! Great story with fantastic writing that just sucks you in. I promise I'll be continuing on with the series. My review.....3.5 stars
My first book by this author (other than her short story in My True Love Gave to Me), I loved the writing style. The story just kept me turning pages to find out what was going to happen next. I only wish that we could have found out what happens with all the boys, it focuses mainly on a couple of them. I do know that this has a sequel coming out (PS I Still Love You), so maybe the author plans to delve a bit more into it then. My review......4 stars
I loved the story about Cath and her sister, family, and friends. The Simon Snow fangirl story parts were not my favorite and I found myself skimming through them. I'm not sure how I'm going to react when Simon's story is told in the next Rowell book (Carry On). My review.........4 stars
In this intricate novel of psychological suspense, a chilling discovery near the high school ignites a witch hunt in a southeast Texas refinery town, unearthing communal and family secrets that threaten the lives of the town's girls.
In Port Sabine, the air is thick with oil, superstition reigns, and dreams hang on making a winning play. All eyes are on Mercy Louis, the star of the championship girls' basketball team. Mercy seems destined for greatness, but the road out of town is riddled with obstacles. There is her grandmother Evelia, a strict evangelical who has visions of an imminent Rapture and sees herself as the keeper of Mercy's virtue. And then there are the cryptic letters from Charmaine, the mother who abandoned Mercy at birth.
At the periphery of Mercy's world floats team manager Illa Stark, a lonely wallflower. Like the rest of the town, Illa is spellbound by Mercy's beauty and talent, but a note discovered in a gym locker reveals that Mercy's life may not be as perfect as it appears.
The last day of school brings the disturbing find, and as summer unfolds and the police investigate, every girl becomes a suspect. At the opening game of the season, Mercy collapses--and Evelia prophesies that she is only the first to fall. Soon other girls are afflicted by the same mysterious condition, sending the town into a tailspin and bringing Illa and Mercy together in an unexpected way.
Evocative and unsettling, The Unraveling of Mercy Louis charts the downfall of one town's golden girl while exploring the brutality and anxieties of girlhood in America.
As these two unforgettable characters try to bring their different worlds together, Hodgman reveals the challenges of Betty’s life and his own struggle for self-respect, moving readers from their small town—crumbling but still colorful—to the star-studded corridors of Vanity Fair. Evocative of The End of Your Life Book Club and The Tender Bar, Hodgman’s New York Times bestselling debut is both an indelible portrait of a family and an exquisitely told tale of a prodigal son’s return.