realistic fiction

Lena Wise is your average high school book nerd, just coasting through life until college, always looking for tomorrow to be better. Though she faces some complications in life with her dad, and beside the fact that she is in love with her best friend, Lena's life is pretty normal. That is until tragedy strikes and Lena begins to realize that for some people, there is no tomorrow.

The most compelling part of this book was the way it approaches teen drinking and survivors guilt. I was happy with the ending and the way all of the events progressed.

Analee in Real Life is about a teenage girl who recently lost her mother. Soon after, she loses her best friend as well. About the only friend she has is in an online game. His name is Harris, and she has a crush on him. So when the most popular boy in the school, Sebastian Matias asks her to pose as his girlfriend to make his ex jealous, she agrees.

This book is very relate able, for teens everywhere. Many kids have the same problems Analee does, and seeing someone else go through it helps. The reality of the...

When Griffin steals a minivan with the keys left in, he thought he got lucky. He did not bargain on 16 year old Cheyenne Wilder sleeping in the back. Now, in addition to his accidental kidnapping, he finds out she is blind and has pneumonia, and he has no idea what to do. But when his father finds out she is the daughter of the president of a powerful president of a company, there is a reason to keep her. But can she survive this real life nightmare and escape alive?

The heroine of the book is immensely brave and goes to great lengths to save herself and escape her captors. If you...

Tink is heading into sixth grade, her last year in elementary school and she must deal with everything from her body suddenly changing to the ever increasing strain between her and her best friend, Jackie's, friendship. Hundred Percent is an authentic and true look into the mind and life of a girl transitioning from a child to a young adult.

The cover of the book is what originally drew me in, it's bright and colorful and just a joy to look at. This book surprised me in the best way, any novel dealing with a protagonist fourteen or younger must maintain a precise balance of...

After all of Jacky’s family dies from a disease outbreak, she is forced to dress as a boy and work as a ship’s boy to survive. Now she no longer has to scavenge for food or fight for survival in the streets. As she becomes a skilled and respected member of the crew, she must use every ounce of her wit and courage to keep the crew from discovering her secret.

Excellent story! I tend to like those gender-bending characters in general, but Jacky was especially well done. She proves herself worthy in combat, but doesn't relish it. She plays a boy because it will secure her food and...

Claire Goldsmith just wants a break. She has gone through struggle after struggle after struggle. So when her dad "falls over sideways" during a stroke, Claire just about loses it. Out of nowhere she is pushed down a road filled with tears, flying spaghetti and snappy brothers. Not to mention bullies and scary teachers at school. As Claire maneuvers her way down this twisted road she learns more about herself than thought possible.

I absolutely LOVED this book! It was a roller coaster of emotions from start to finish, but in a great way. I found myself relating to Claire more than I...

Auggy was born with a facial deformity that has always prevented him from attending public school. But now, after many surgeries, he is able to be in the 5th grade. He is just an ordinary kid with an extraordinary face. How can he convince his classmates that he is just like them despite what he looks like?

I'd recommend it without hesitation to most middle grade readers, girls or boys, even those who may not normally pick up realistic fiction.

A boy named Pip lives on the English marshes as an apprentice for a Blacksmith named Joe (his sister's husband). Pip is supposed to be a common boy just like his family, but he gets the opportunity to meet a family of higher class. Pip's ideology of being common changes into shame for his social class, and he is stuck between family and image. He soon has the opportunity to embark on his Great Expectations without knowing who his benefactor is, and is struck by the harsh society of London.

This book starts out very slow and boring, but soon confronts you with many connections that...

Four different people, four separate stories, and four unique perspectives are all tied together by fear. As the school-wide assembly ends, the entire school discovers that all the doors are locked as a student starts shooting. In this fast paced read, which only spans the course of fifty minutes, the reader gets the perspective of four students, who all have reasons to fear the boy holding the gun. Each character reflects on how they are tied to the shooter, decisions they have made, and how they got to this point all while testing their strength in this nerve-wracking, suspenseful book.

What a heart wrenching, yet inspiring, read this was! I listened to the audio book and couldn't tear myself away. It's been a long time since I found myself so immersed in a story, or since I have read a story so incredibly tragic and yet, at the same time so hopeful.