Point of Retreat: Slammed Trilogy #2

Hoover, C. (2012). Point of retreat: A novel. New York: Atria Paperback.  

Will and Lake's story of emotional turmoil continues as they struggle to keep their relationship in tacked. Will's past comes to light and puts a toll on their connection. They both go through a point that they separate to figure themselves out and what would be best for them. Should they retreat from one another and focus on themselves and their families or should they fight for the love they have for one another? 

After reading finishing Slammed and reading this within a day, I once again was pacing the house anxious as I needed to get to the next book. The loves story between the two is so captivating and intense that you cannot help but get emotionally involved. You cannot help but become angry at Will for his actions or talk to Lake for her thinking or actions as well. Yes, I talk to my books and the characters within them. I just want to crawl through the pages and talk (or scream) to them for their decisions at times. 

This book is the middle ground or midpoint in the relationship with Will and Lake. Although they want be together, retreating is always there for when things become to heated between the two; personally and emotionally.

Slammed Trilogy #1

 Hoover, C. (2012). Slammed: A novel. New York: Atria Paperback.

This is book one of three. Eighteen year old Lake and her family relocate after her father dies unexpectedly, from Texas to Michigan. It is there that she meets her neighbor, twenty one year old Will, across the street. While out on their first date, they attend a poetry slam. They both have younger brothers who like to play with one another and soon become best friends. They are around each other, you would think they were connected at the hip.  It is not until when Lake enrolls in school that her and Will's world comes to a halt. When it seems that Will is Lakes poetry teacher, turmoil begins. Both has to learn how to balance school and intense feelings before someone finds out. If someone did, Will could lose everything; his little brother, his home, his career, and have to drop out of college.  It is through the poetry that Will creates and assigns his students that he and Lake are able to communicate their true feelings for one another.

The moment I realized that Will was Lake's poetry teacher was a moment that I about lost it. I didn't have anyone to turn to to talk about it (typically the case) and I was about to go crazy! My husband could tell something was going on as I could not sit still while reading, had my eyes glued to the book while in the car, and saw the glow of the flashlight as I read in the middle of the night to early hours in the morning. He has gotten used to it. I became instantly hooked with this love story and was anxious throughout the events of all three books.

I have become such a HUGE fan of Colleen Hoover and every chance I get, I make sure to find a book. Typically, I get one at a time, but not in this case. I got all three. Knowing it was a series, I had to. It would have bothered me to much to wait and have to go back. This is not the first of Colleen Hoover that I have read. I cannot wait til more material is published to continue reading.

I didn't realize that The Advett Brothers was a real band. I got on YouTube and searched for them and instantly fell in love with their music. Listening to them, I became excited hearing the quotes from each chapter in their songs. So thank you Colleen Hoover for introducing me to a new band that I find I can connect to at times and feel not overwhelmed or edgy when listening to them. I am definitely keeping an eye out for tour dates. 

An Abundance of Katherines

 Green, J. (2006). An abundance of Katherines. New York, NY: Dutton Books.  No matter what the child prodigy, Colin, seems to always get dumped by his girlfriends, who happen to all be named Katherine, all nineteen of them. After the nineteenth Katherine, Colin and his best friend, Hassan, take a road trip to get over his break up. When arriving in Gutshot, TN, Colin and Hassan take a job recording the towns history. While there, Colin works on decoding his theorem of love and relationships, falls for a local girl, Lindsey, and expresses his worry and want to be known, for leaving his mark within society. Colin is forced to evaluate his traits and habits to learn that everyone counts in one way or another. 

The Fault In Our Stars

 Green, J. (2012). The Fault in Our Stars. New York: Dutton Books.  Cancer sucks. Especially when is takes ahold of your life and ones that you love and care for. Although her cancer is not terminal, Hazel, attends a support group where she meets Augustus Waters, who she falls for. Their friendship becomes much more when Augustus uses his wish to take Hazel to meet her favorite author overseas. It is when they return that life takes a turn for the worst when not Hazel's, but Augustus's cancer returns for the worst. 

This story of friendship, young love, and heartbreak captures the young adult audience in a way that pulls them into the lives of the characters, making them feel apart of the love story. With messages throughout the story, Green presents lessons to the readers about dealing with lose and heartache and dealing with those individuals who are negative and hurtful around us. 

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.

Shiver

Stiefvater, M., & Stengel, C. (2009). Shiver. New York: Scholastic Press.

The yellow eyes make her wonder if he was the one who saved her from being eaten alive by the wolf pack. Every winter those yellow eyes return to watch her and he has become her wolf. When tragedy hits her town, Grace rushes home to find a boy on her porch shaking from the cold and his wound. Grace recognizes his yellow eyes and discovers the boy, Sam, is he wolf.  Learning he was the one who saved her and what is happening with the pack, Sam tries to stay human as long as he can and Grace begins to wonder what it was like to be a wolf, while falling in love with one another.

Intended for ages 12 and up, this animal fantasy involves a love story of humans and werewolves. Two different worlds are colliding and Sam and Grace are in the middle of it trying to figure things out while falling hard for one another. Elements of violence, death, and werewolves are present throughout the story. This series could be used to compare and contrast to other fantasy series identifying man versus man, nature, and society conflicts.

We Were Liars

Lockhart, E. (2013). We were liars. New York, NY: Random House Children's Books. Summers at the family’s private island were something to look forward to. Candace spent time with extended family and her crush Gat. It’s summer fifteen that Candace has to figure out what happened to her and why her summer came to a halt.  

This book is intended for young adults, intermediate school and above, as readers will encounter Candace's emotional ordeal of coming to terms with the deaths of those close to her. It meets the criteria of a young adult book because the protagonist of the story is a teenager and the narrator of the story. Teachers could this book to discuss foreshadowing and flashbacks of events. They could use this to teach inferencing and making conclusions as well.