School. A word that conjures the smell of sweaty gyms, bad cafeteria food, and Expo
markers. It also conjures the pain of unrequited love, the joy of first kisses, the
stress of being unprepared for exams, and the fear of trying to figure out who you
are. Some people love high school, some hate it. Mostly, I hated it because I hated
the uncertainty of high school. Did I do well on that test? Is he flirting with me
or was he smiling because of a thought completely unrelated to me? Why in the world
can’t I keep my mouth shut? (I still ask myself this question on a daily basis.)
What do I want to do when I go to college? Do I even want to go to college?
During high school, the world begins to spiral, ever bigger, outwards. You begin to
see the limitless choices of where you can go, who you can be, what you can do, and
it's exciting and terrifying, and you're absolutely without a doubt not ready for
it. High school means you have to step out of the tiny world of your childhood and
into that vast, spinning world and every decision will be yours and yours alone to
make.
It'll be okay because you are not alone in that expanding world. There's no
replacing support from family and friends, but without a doubt one of the most
helpful guides into finding the me I wanted to be was through reading. My favorite
characters were just as awkward, clueless, and terrified as I was.
That's why as the school year gets started I've chosen three novels that will make
you laugh, cry, and cheer for the characters who are exactly like you.
“He's young. He's hot. He's also evil. He's...the
librarian.”
Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday in Italian class, Cynthia Rothschild stares
helplessly and hopelessly at Ryan Halsey, a drool-worthy hottie who probably
doesn’t even know Cyn’s name. Her best friend, Annie, teases Cyn without mercy, and
Cyn can’t wait for the day when Annie falls for an unattainable crush. Cyn will
finally get her chance to mock Annie relentlessly because, hey, what else are best
friends for?
When Annie falls head-over-heels in love with the new high school librarian,
payback is finally at hand. After meeting Mr. Gabriel, Cyn begins to understand
Annie’s crush. He’s young, super-cute, and smart, but there’s something not right
about him or the way he looks at Annie. When Cyn learns that Mr. Gabriel is a demon
and he has plans for Annie, Cyn knows she has to save Annie from herself.
Not to mention, she still has to design the perfect barber’s chair for Sweeney
Todd, this year’s school musical, figure out how to remain calm when talking to
her crush, and stop Mr. Gabriel from sucking the life-force out of the rest of the
student body.
EVIL LIBRARIAN by Michelle Knudsen is
hilarious horror at its best. Cynthia is sassy, smart, ambitious, and when faced
with a best-friend stealing demon, she pushes up her sleeves and gets down to the
business of saving Annie. It’s her absolute willingness to do whatever it takes for
Annie that makes Cyn a hero worth rooting for. I hope Michelle Knudsen brings Cyn
back in future novels because she’s a character I’d gladly follow into hell, or at
least high school, and back.
At Mythos Academy, students descended from ancient
warriors like Spartans, Valkyries, and Amazons learn how to control and use their
magic, and 17-year-old Gwen Frost has the unique ability of psychometry. She can
feel an object’s history by touching it.
Unfortunately, this ability has gotten her into trouble on more than one occasion,
or maybe that has something to do with being Nike’s champion. Trouble seems to
follow Gwen no matter where she goes. Homecoming: Reaper attack. Winter Carnival:
Reaper attack. Winter break: Reaper attack. Winter band concert: Reaper attack. Why
should Valentine’s Day Dance be any different?
But the Reaper’s have bigger plans this time. They want to restore Loki, the evil
Norse god of chaos, to full health, and what they need is being taken to Mythos
Academy. Only Gwen can find out what it is the Reaper’s want, and she’s the only
one who can stop them. Gwen has a feeling that this will be a fight to the death…
either Loki’s or Gwen’s.
KILLER FROST is the sixth
and final book in The Mythos Acadamy series by Jennifer Estep. It’s full of
snarkiness, brutal showdowns, and life-or-death choices. You know, a typical day of
high school. Gwen’s struggle to accept her abilities, balance her duty to Nike, and
still follow her heart makes her a constant source of surprises.
As a famous internet fashion and beauty video blogger,
Torrey Grey has thousands of people watching her, but when Torrey's sister is
killed in an accident -- maybe because of Torrey and her videos -- Torrey's perfect
world implodes.
The backlash forces Torrey into a new school, where she doesn’t know who to trust.
Are people being nice to her because of her internet infamy? Then Torrey meets
Luis, whose family runs the local funeral home. She’s drawn to his stories about el
Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, and his dark, brooding eyes. Can Torrey
learn to mourn her sister and forgive herself?
I’m excited to read CAN’T LOOK
AWAY by Donna Cooner.
El Día de los Muertos is a beautiful holiday, and I’ll read anything and everything
I can that revolves around it. I’m also excited to see what kind of person Torrey
is. Youth, fame, fashion, and grief is an amazingly interesting combination that
promises to reveal Torrey’s true character.