Staff Pick of the Month: April 2013
The Selection
By Kiera Cass
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. It’s an opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth, to be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels and to live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her and leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself--and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.
Why I liked it: I picked up this book because The Selection is coming to the CW but I continued reading it because the grandeur of the palace and the romantic triangle between America, Aspen and Maxon swept me away.
Three words or phrases that describe this book: swoon-worthy, royal, modern fairytale
You might want to pick up this book if: You liked the competition and romance triangle aspects of The Hunger Games but not necessarily the bloodshed.
If you like this book, you may also like: Matched by Allie Condie, Princess Academy by Shannon Hale, or All-American Girl by Meg Cabot
-- Reviewed by Madison, Library Assistant.
Staff Pick of the Month: March 2013
Darkest Minds
By Alexandra Bracken
“The Darkest Minds tend to hide behind the most unlikely faces.”
Click here to view a book trailer
How dangerous are you? Children across the country are dying by their 10th birthday or developing strange abilities they cannot control. Sent to brutal prison-like rehabilitation camps to protect society, more children are disappearing rather than being rehabilitated. Ruby barely escapes the camp alive and is now desperate to find a safe haven while avoiding government forces trying to kill her and anti-government forces trying to use her powers against her will.
Three words or phrases that describe this book: dystopia, riveting, twists.
You might want to pick up this book if: You enjoy books about dystopian society with realistic characters, fast action and where things are not always what they seem.
If you like this book, you may also like: Divergent by Veronica Roth, Legend by Marie Lu or Dark Parties by Sara Grant.
-- Reviewed by Janolyn Schleicher, Library Assistant.
Staff Pick of the Month: February 2013
Every Day
By David Levithan
Each morning, a teen named A wakes up in a different body. A usually tries to cause as little disturbance as possible, living out the day exactly as the owner of the body would. No getting noticed, no making big changes. Usually. That all changes when A wakes up in the body of Rhiannon's boyfriend and falls in love with her.
Why I liked it: A's existance is very thought-provoking. Just how much of our identities are wrapped up in our bodies? You can't read this book without thinking about things we take for granted--like making plans for the future, and the history you've built out of the days of your past. And even though the problems A faces are completely foreign to people who live their whole lives in the same body (like... all of us), A is still a believeable, likeable character.
Three words/phrases that describe this book: fantastical, realistic, and gripping.
Pick up this book: If you like books with interesting characters, or if you like your romances with a philosophical twist.
If you like this book you might also try: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, or The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan.
Reviewed by Courtney Sammis, Library Associate.
Want even more suggestions? Check out our picks for past years!
