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The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden

It is a rare book indeed that ever gets a perfect score from me, but The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden deserves nothing less than top marks. It’s heart wrenching, believable, thought provoking and brutally honest. I absolutely love Zoey and at multiple points in the story wanted to applaud her courage and resilience and how she absolutely became her own hero. I could not put this book down and you won’t be able to either. Get yourself a copy asap; you can thank me later.

We are all made of molecules by Susan Nielsen

5/31/2015

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This is a very enjoyable read due to the conflicting voices of Stewart and Ashley, two teens forced to share a household when Stewart's dad moves in with Ashley's mom. Stewart is still grieving for his mom, who died from ovarian cancer, and Ashley is embarrassed by her father, who has recently come out of the closet and moved out but only to the guest house behind Ashley's current house. Stewart and Ashley are about as different as two teens could possibly be; which is one of the reasons why I enjoyed the book, and the other reason is the honest but humorous observations made by Stewart. A few times I did have to question whether Ashley could possibly be as naive and clueless as she appeared but other than that, this book had me smiling and nodding at the honest depictions of the angst, sacrifices and joyful moments that make up life.

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Breakthrough by Jack Andraka

5/21/2015

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This is the fabulous true story of Jack Andraka, a boy who, at the age of fifteen, came up with an early detection test for pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancer. His method is much more effective than what doctors used previously and cost only three cents a test!
His story however, is much more than just that of a young successful innovator. It details Jack's path of creative inventiveness, the close connection he had with a dear family friend whom Jack called "Uncle Ted" and how Ted's death inspired Jack to help others suffering from the same disease. It also does a great job of explaining when and how Jack realized he was gay, and how he handled the initial repulsion of his brother, and the homophobic bullying at school and elsewhere that he faced regularly. It is an inspiring read for a variety of reasons and one that all young adults should read.

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Janice's bookshelf: read

Siege and Storm

by Leigh Bardugo

Just didn't enjoy it as much as Shadow and Bone. I just felt like the author was really trying a bit too hard to draw this story out. I was able to put it down several times and I couldn't put Shadow and Bone down so there's the differen...

Ruin and Rising

by Leigh Bardugo

The Grisha triology is a fantasy series that I really enjoyed. I reread the last book because I thought I wasn't remembering something. I'm a bit confused because I've started King of Scars and Nikolai isn't as I remembered. Don't want...

Don't Wake Up

by Liz Lawler

A Very Large Expanse of Sea

by Tahereh Mafi

I’m not usually someone who enjoys a story that is predominantly about the attraction between two people BUT I did like this one. The setting is one year after 9/11 and 16 year old Shirin, an American born Muslim whose family moves freq...

Two Can Keep a Secret

by Karen M. McManus

I love a good mystery, and although I correctly guessed the murderer in the first chapter, I still thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns.

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The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden

We are all made of molecules by Susan Nielsen

Breakthrough by Jack Andraka

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Janice's bookshelf: read