Book Review: Optimists Die First by Susin Nielsen

Title: Optimists Die First

Author: Susin Nielsen

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Number of Pages: 240

Rating: A

Recommended?: Yes

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Book Review: A Little Piece of Sky by Nicole Bailey-Williams

Title: A Little Piece of Sky

Author: Nicole Bailey-Williams

Genre: Literary Fiction

Number of Pages: 176

Rating: C-

Recommended?: No

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Book Review: Ebb and Flow by Heather Smith

Title: Ebb and Flow

Author: Heather Smith

Genre: Young Adult/ Books in Verse

Number of Pages: 232

Rating: B-

Recommended?: Yes

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Book Review: The Girl in the Box by Ouida Sebestyen

Title: The Girl in the Box

Author: Ouida Sebestyen

Genre: YA Thriller

Number of Pages:  192

Rating: B-

Recommended?: Yes

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Book Review: Flocks by L. Nichols

Title: Flocks

Author: L. Nichols

Genre: Graphic Novel/Memoir

Number of Pages: 332

Rating: B-

Recommended?: Yes

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Book Review: Stargazing by Jen Wang

Title: Stargazing

Author: Jen Wang

Genre: Middle-Grade Graphic Novel

Number of Pages: 224

Rating: B

Recommended?: Yes

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Book Review: One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones

Title: One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies

Author: Sonya Sones

Genre: Young Adult/Books in Verse

Number of Pages: 268

Rating: B-

Recommended?: Yes

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Book Review: Aquarium by David Vann

Title: Aquarium

Author: David Vann

Number of Pages: 266

Genre: Literary Fiction

Rating: B-

Recommended?: Yes

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Character Conversations #2: Hazel & Warren

An elderly woman must confront her own prejudices when her alcoholic 34-year-old son comes out to her over the phone while on a trip with his sister and brother-in-law. This scene is written very loosely like a screenplay, and the son’s dialogue is in bold print to make the experience of reading it less confusing. For a previous dialogue between these two characters, click HERE. —

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