This Girl: Slammed Trilogy #3

 Hoover, C. (2013). This girl: A novel. New York: Atria Paperback.
They have made it through the tough times, but find that more are to come. Told through Will's point of view, the audience is able to see why he acted certain ways, hear his regrets, and his story of why he was in the situation he was in when he first met Lake. Although it may be painful for him to bring those memories back to reality, Will knows that it will help Lake understand why he did what he did, as well as a few confessions. Now married, Will and Lake begin their journey in learning to deal with the past situations and move forward to a new future.

This final novel of the trilogy wraps up the storyline of Will's history and the marriage between Will and Lake. It brings closure to the story and the reader who I am sure questioned many things along the way. Although they went through trial after trial after trial, Will and Lake proved that their love for one another, although young, stood the tests that came in their way. Ultimately, their love for one another got them through the most difficult of times and brought them closer together, building a stronger relationship as husband and wife.

Maybe Someday

Hoover, C. (2014). Maybe someday: A novel. New York: Atria Books.

Her parents told her it was not a good idea, but she did it anyway. Learning her boyfriend is cheating on her with her roommate, who happens to also be her best friend, Sydney is torn to pieces. After packing her belongings and leaving, Sydney is faced with being homeless. That is until Ridge, the songwriter who plays the guitar across the courtyard, offers her a place to stay, in his apartment. Set in Austin, Texas, Sydney and Ridge build a professional relationship as Sydney writes the lyrics for his music. Eventually the lyrics become personal and feelings and desires for one another become to much to handle. Sydney must find herself before beginning another relationship, while Ridge needs to accept who he is really meant to be with.

Maybe Someday is intended for adults as it deals with sex, language, alcohol, and the inner struggle of being faithful to yourself . This realistic fiction deals with everyday affairs of cheating on a partner, struggling emotionally, and falling in love with the right person at the wrong time.  

Colleen Hoover has several other realist novels that would be great to follow Maybe Someday, all dealing with relationships and finding one’s self.

Gabi: A Girl in Pieces

Quintero, I. (2014). Gabi, a girl in pieces. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press. A girl chronicles the events that she encounters her senior year of high school. One best friend becomes pregnant, while her other best friend reveals to his parents he is gay and deals with their rejections. On a daily basis, Gabi deals with her best friends issues, to a drug addict of a father, to the fear of being rejected from her ideal college, Berkeley.

Gabi’s experiences are meant for students of the age 15 years old or older due to the content of sexuality, drug addiction, teen pregnancy and abortion. As the protagonist of the story, Gabi controls her story and what decisions she encounters. Although the setting changes, to the common teenager it will seem unimportant as Gabi takes us between her home and her school. It’s the events that happen between the two that contribute to the intensity of the story.

Gabi, a girl in pieces is a good piece to use for a girls book club. It identifies with high schoolers today and could be use to bring out issues that teens are afraid to address with their peers. They can relate to the content of the book and feel good about reading.