Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson

“You’re not dead, but you’re not alive, either. You’re a wintergirl, Lia-Lia, caught in between the worlds. You’re a ghost with a beating heart. Soon you’ll cross the border and be with me. I’m so stoked. I miss you wicked.”  

-Laurie Halse Anderson, Wintergirls

Ever since I read Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, which is no doubt one of my favorite books, I knew I had to read another one of her books. Granted, it took me longer than expected to find another book by her, but I did in Chapters bookstore and freaked out a very tiny bit. She's that good.

Wintergirls has a very different tone than Speak did. Which is why after a few pages in, I wasn't sure how much I'd actually enjoy the book. Not as much as Speak, I thought. The way its written takes a little while to get used to, however, once it cleared up, Anderson did a fantastic job. She was able to, as she did in Speak, create a character that we get to know completely. If any author gets into the head of their characters, it's Laurie Halse Anderson.

Lia, and her best friend Cassie, are the main characters entangled in a deadly competition to see who can be the thinnest. The book is heart-wrenching, at times difficult to read, but powerful. I believe that every girl, especially those around the age of 13, should read this book. It shows the true effect of an eating disorder. Written in a way that accurately reveals the mind battles and thought process of those with any eating disorder. It shows how starving yourself affects those around you, and it shows the painful road to recovery.

While the tone of Speak was very monotone in a way , Wintergirls is eerie and hauntingly beautiful. I've never witnessed the effects of an eating disorder in anyone's life before. I listened to stories of those who overcame it, and looked into the topic a little out of curiosity. This book, however, centers on everything that happens to someone currently dealing with this deadly illness. It broke my heart.

Once again, Laurie Halse Anderson has left me at a loss for words. This is one of those books that you will have to read for yourself in order to fully comprehend the impact that it can, and will, have.

Love Anthony - Lisa Genova

He died, and for a long time after that worst of all mornings, she replayed his death in her mind, unleashing the massive sorrow that still clings to those images, consuming her in a tsunami of devastated grief every day. She thought she would do this forever. Her grief was her daily duty, her misery a humble tribute to her son."

Love Anthony - Lisa Genova

I get excited whenever I notice a book by Lisa Genova on the shelves of a book store... I get even more excited when it's a good price. Although I heard of this book by Genova before, it had never really piqued my interest. Until, well, I found a good deal on it that I really just couldn't refuse. I don't regret the decision, and if I had to go back and buy the book full price I'd go in a heartbeat.

This was actually quite different from the previous three books I've read by Lisa Genova. In Still Alice, Left Neglected, and Inside the O'Brien's, Genova told the story from the perspective of the person with whatever condition she focused on. She got inside the character's head to reveal what the affected person was really experiencing from the inside out. In Love Anthony, the story centers on the mother of Anthony, an autistic boy. We know from the very beginning of the book (it's in the description on the back cover, no spoilers.) that Anthony died at a very young age. I was at first a little disappointed, I wanted to get inside Anthony's head, but I wasn't disappointed after actually reading the book.

For the entire story, Olivia, Anthony's mother, is plagued by the question of why. Why was Anthony given to her? Why for such a short period of time? What was his purpose? These are questions we ponder after any death of a loved one, but especially when death happens at a young age. However, Lisa's books always leave me feeling at peace by the ending. In short, this book did not fail me.

I loved reading this book. It was wonderfully written, Genova did a phenomenal job telling Anthony's story. Also, after reading any one of her books, I feel as though I better understand the condition she deals with. The same is true about this novel. Although a fictional story, I believe I've really learned something about autism and those affected by it 

I applaud Genova and her writings. I have yet to read one of her books that I don't enjoy, and I doubt I ever will. She is an intelligent author, capable of understanding the topics she writes about. This is a good read for any generation.

The Last Boy and Girl in The World - Siobhan Vivian

When the rain first began to fall, we didn't see the bigger picture. We didn't even want to. The bigger picture was for our parents to worry about. We were sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, and focused on more exciting things, like how many days were left before school let out. And Spring Formal and our dresses. When it started, the only thing I cared about was kissing Jesse Ford.

The Last Boy and Girl in The World - Siobhan Vivian

This book started out seemingly very predictable. I was pretty sure I could tell what was going to happen. It was the classic love story of a girl achieving the boy of her dreams. Despite the fact I thought I knew what would happen in the end, I kept reading. And I'm glad I did. The book takes a turn throughout a series of events... and everything that was supposed to happen according to my predictions, didn't. I was flipping through pages long past midnight, and excitedly texting my best friend, who read the book at the same time as me. Even though an easy-to-guess ending would've been good, too, the ending to this book was more than just good, it was incredibly satisfying.

The story centers around Keeley Hewitt, a senior in high school with an almost obsessive crush on Jesse Ford. Telling you that she ends up with Jesse will not spoil the story, to my surprise this happened quite early-on in the book. The rest of the story is their relationship as they try to savour their last days in their beloved hometown of Aberdeen, which is at risk of being completely submerged under water. There's definitely a plot-twist, but what I love is that part of this plot-twist would've been predictable if I had only paid to seemingly minor characters.

Siobhan's writing style was unique in this book. Something about it made me keep reading, even though, like I said, I thought I knew what was coming up. It almost feels like she has that mystique about her that she shares through her writing. I believe there is are so very subtly hints that there will  be more to the story than a simple love story. I hope to read more of her books in the future.

I think my favorite part of this book was the characters. For some reason I really "connected" with the characters, and enjoyed seeing their intertwining relationships, whether good or bad. Siobhan created characters that are personable, relatable, and quirky. They were not perfect, complete with flaws, struggles and deep emotions, making the characters on the pages come to life in my mind.

All in all, this book may have been the most satisfying summer read I've completed. I'd love to see it as a movie. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good, atypical love story.