Trigger by Susan Vaught

How would it be to wake up in a hospital with brain damage and no memory of how you got there? Would you be able to believe it if you were told you shot yourself in the head in an attempt to commit suicide? That is the world Jersey lives in. He has spent almost a year in the hospital and rehabilitation center recovering and learning how to live with his brain injury and a battered body as a result of the injury. Now, Jersey is going home and will also have to learn how to live with family and friends who don't quite know how to react and deal with his suicide attempt. Jersey will also begin to explore the reason why he tried to kill himself. He was once athletic and popular, but now Jersey can barely get his body to do want his brain tries to tell it to do and his friends are mostly angry at him. He finds that people tend to either be too sympathetic to his ordeal or overly angry. His memories come back to him in quick flashbacks that he must try to put together into one cohesive memory. He has trouble speaking, and sometimes has trouble not speaking as he tends to spout of whatever is on his mind thanks to the brain injury.

The story is about Jersey's attempt to find himself, even when some do not want to tell him the whole story he needs in order to do so. While the reading level is not very difficult, the story can be difficult at times because of the serious subject matter. At times it can be hard to follow as the story is told in Jersey's voice, as it is with his brain injury. That can sometimes make it difficult to stay with the story. However, the book is worthwhile and will leave you with plenty to think about. You might want to share it with family and friends so you can discuss it.

Book; 14+; ISBN 9781582349206; New York : Bloomsbury, 2006

The Great Wide Sea by M.H. Herlong

Losing your mother and home then becoming lost at sea and stranded on a desert island may be a bit much for any teen, or any adult even, to handle. That is the situation in which Ben and his two brothers, Gerry and Dylan, find themselves. When their mother dies in a car accident, the boys and their father are unable to bear their grief. Ben's father goes off the deep end and sells their home so they can sail for a year around the Bahamas. Ben is not happy with his father's decision, and this creates a rocky relationship between them. Being stuck on a small sailboat with three others who are not getting along can make for a very long year at sea. It turns out they do not get stuck together for a year on the boat. Instead, the Ben's father disappears off of the boat and is lost at sea, leaving Ben to take care of his brothers and the boat. Then a storm shipwrecks the boys on a desert island. Ben finds himself in the role of father to his brothers. Each brother has his own troubles surviving on the island between accidents and just plain going insane.

The book is a fast read, mainly because it is a page turner. You will be dying to find out if the boys make it off of the island alive. Some parts are predictable, and I became a little tired of the constant reminders of the family's grief over the loss of their mother (yeah, kind of cold- I know). However, the book is definitely worthwhile. I recommend for a pleasurable summer read for guys and girls.

Book; 12+; ISBN 9780670063307; New York : Viking Childrens Books, 2008

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Meyers

Fighting in battle can seem romantic and brave. The Vietnam war caused many to begin questioning that romanticism of war. Seventeen year old Richie Perry had plans to go to college after graduation in the late 1960s, but those plans fall through. Not knowing what to do, Richie enlists in the Army figuring it is better than ending up on the streets of Harlem. He is quickly sent off to Vietnam after a brief training. He has hopes that his knee injury will get him out of fighting, but, of course, something happens with his paperwork, and he ends up in battle alongside his new buddies, PeeWee and Jenkins. Richie struggles to come to terms with what he was told about war and Vietnam during his basic training and the reality he experiences in Vietnam. He begins to question the validity of the U.S. role in Vietnam. After dealing with commanders who are more concerned with their own promotions and their soldiers’ safety and realizing that African-Americans are purposely being sent on the most dangerous missions, Richie decides to demand some answers from his authorities, despite warnings from his comrades.

This is a coming of age story about a young adult who is trying his best to live to come of age. The story is an eye opener about the realities of war. This is a great book about survival and discover, and a recommended book for anyone who dreams of fighting in battle. Meyers manages to let the story speak for itself without becoming preachy. With you are for or against war, this page turner will have you questioning your own beliefs and perceptions. Fans of other Walter Dean Meyers books will not be disappointed as he continues writing in his usual edgy style here.

Book; 14+; ISBN 978-0545055765; New York: Scholastic Inc, 1988

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Would you like to live in a society where everybody is equal? How about if equality means that everyone gets a special surgery that makes them pretty or handsome? Not too bad huh? That is the world in which Tally Youngblood lives. Turning sixteen means a surgury that will make you beautiful and hot. Once you've turned from an Ugly to a Pretty, you also get to go live in a city where your only responsibility is to party and have fun. Tally is excited to turn sixteen and get to go join her friends who have already become Pretties. It is what she has wanted her entire life. However, in the weeks before her sixteenth birthday, Tally meets Shay, who does not want to become Pretty. The two girls develop a bond, and Shay invites Tally to run away with her to live with others who do not want to become Pretty. Tally cannot imagine not becoming a Pretty and turns Shay down. Just in case, Shay gives Tally cryptic instructions for how to find her should Tally change her mind.

When Shay disappears, Tally is brought in to the authorities and questioned about her friend. They strike Tally a deal: either show them the way to Shay and her friends who chose to stay Ugly or stay Ugly forever herself. To find Shay and the other rebels, and ultimately betray their whereabouts, Tally sets off on a dangerous journey by herself. Her journey will expose her so called perfect society for what it really is and lead her to discover what is truly important in life. If only she will survive it.

I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. It is not the fluffy novel I expected. Westerfeld created a story of extreme environmentalism and equality. It takes place in the future but does not feel like a typical sci-fi story. Westerfeld is great at keeping just enough unknown to encourage the reader into each chapter. This would be a great book for a book report as there is lots to think about and respond to, but it is still a fun read. I couldn't put it down. It is the first of a trilogy, and I can't wait to get my hands on the other books.

Book; 14+; ISBN 978-0689865381; New York: Simon Pulse, 2005

Breathe My Name by R.A. Nelson

Francis has what appears to be a perfect life. She has a great, loving family, close friends, and no major problems- or so it seems. Francis was adopted as a young child by her family after her biological mother murdered her three sisters during a moment of insanity. Her mother had tried to kill her too, but she was able to escape thanks to a surprise visit by a stranger. Breathe My Name tells the story of how Francis comes to terms with her mother's actions, her own survivor's guilt, and her over-protective, adoptive family. When Francis meets hot-new-boy-in-school, Nix, she begins to follow a path that will take her towards forgiving her mother and herself.

The cover description of Breathe My Name misleads the reader into thinking the book will be a horror or suspense novel where the mother wants to "finish the job" by luring and killing her surviving daughter. While the story does have a somewhat creepy vibe to it, it is more a realistic story of coming of age and survival. The mother does not come after Francis; though Francis does find herself in danger. While this is not a fast read, it is not boring. Nelson keeps the story moving by alternating between Francis' current life and her past life where we see how her mother slowly falls into insanity and learn what happened on that fateful day when her sisters were murdered.

Book; 13+; ISBN 978-1595141866; New York: Razorbill, 2007.