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Stephanie Meyer captured my attention once again with her Twilight Saga. Her novel is definitely far-fetched, but its popularity caught my attention. I would never expect an author to be able to successfully write a plot that incorporated vampires, werewolves, and mythical legends into a romance story. Eclipse explores the emotions involved in true love. Bella and Edward’s relationship questions what it means to be human, the pursuit of happiness, immortal soul, and relationships.

To be human not only means to have a heartbeat, but to feel strong emotion. I believe we root our emotions in the relationships with hold with our family, friends, and peers. Bella’s relationship with Edward is serious, passionate, and protective. This differs greatly from when she is with Jacob. Together, they are fun, immature, and slightly irresponsible. Plus, there’s a tiny problem; Jacob wants more than friends. I can relate to this simply with my own life. This concept answers the question: What role do people play in our lives? Dellaney and I tend to laugh over the stupidest thing. We fascinate ourselves with baking cupcakes, telling each other about our weird dreams, and trying to drive through puddles. It’s not as pathetic as it sounds. I know that I could also turn for her for advice and to talk about what’s seriously going on in our lives, like boyfriends and parents. It’s a two in one deal.

More on an individual level, humans can feel protective. While our class has been reading “The Shack,” there was a story about the Multnomah princess. She sacrifices herself to save her tribe. In the Quileute legends, there is a story about the third wife. She stabs herself to distract a vampire and allow the wolves to attack. Bella also thinks about attempting this when Seth gets hurt during the fight. Why is it that humans feel the need to sacrifice when we feel helpless? This can be answered by explaining that love can be destructive. To be human is to fear heartbreak. This means to feel empty and fear failure. When a life passes, we usually feel hurt like this. I’ve never lost anyone so close to me, and I hope I never have to. I would never sacrifice myself through suicide or anything that severe. I feel that if I was hurting this much, I would sacrifice my happiness. I would probably grieve and try to stay miserable. I would feel guilty for moving on too quick. Perhaps, this is why Bella greived so mcuh when Edward left. Love is fulfilling enough to capture the whole heart just as easily as it can break it.

Destructive love also explains that as our relationships change as we love people for different reasons. Bella realized she loved Edward and Jacob, even if it was one more than the other. I think this is completely ridiculous. How would you not feel like you were lying to yourself? Or worse, she was unfaithful.

Another touchy topic with Edward was the idea of immortal souls. Do I have immortal soul? Edward never believed he did. He was immortal, but he was supposed to be a blood-sucking monster after all. Yet, he’s in love with a human. He would never get the chance to die, unless his own kind killed him. His family was peaceful. They saved themselves on the brink of death. What are the criteria for an immortal soul or life after death? I’m not baptised or an extremely religious person, so attending church and praying won’t earn me any points. I believe there is a God. I attend a Catholic school. Achieving immortal soul is an identity. It is the reason we all think and feel differently. It is the ways we choose to find happiness. We have the free will that allows us to do this, unless its just all programmed into our soul. This is a question I may never be able to answer until I die. I believe that as we physically die, or as our heart stops and we become a vampire (highly mythical), that our souls do live on. I don’t know where they’ll go; maybe to a happy place. Sometimes, I believe we become someone’s guardian angel. Whatever happens, its going to be something close to magic.

I’m not going to recommend this book. Not because it wasn’t good, but everyone who has wanted to read it already has. There are also those who are so tired of hearing about the “Twilight Saga,” that they’ll disagree with me anyways. I enjoyed reading the book, but it’s entirely the reader’s choice.

The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place has collected dust on my bookshelf since Grade 8. I finally found a reason to read it this year and was surprised at what I had missed out on. E. L. Konigsburg is an amazing author, and this well-written story of a young girl and her journey to save her uncle’s artwork captivated me from beginning to end.

“When you get older, you realize that all you have is time. You have time and your side of history, and thats all you have.”
-Uncle Alexander Rose, 19 Schuyler Place

This quote was one of the few that repeated itself throughout “The Outcasts of Schuyler Place.” Margaret Rose Kane takes the reader on an adventure in her attempts to stop the demolition of her uncles’ most prized posessions: three towers handmade with multicolored pendants and paint mixtures. Margaret’s decisions throughout the story clearly demonstrate the important lessons we learn in our lifetime. Creativity, determination, and reunion collide to redefine the meaning of individuality. When constant struggles to get along with her cabin-mates leave Margaret uninterested in any camp activities, she is rescued by her uncles, Alex and Morris. When Margaret learns of the attempts of the neighbors and city council to destroy the towers her uncles have spent 45 years building, she unites with her mother’s childhood friends and Camp Telequa handyman. With a mission in mind, values at heart, and a few helping hands, Margaret Rose saves the towers. The author teaches the audience that when you believe something is possible, it can happen. It just takes patience, willingness, and luck.

I loved E. L. Konigsburg’s style of writing. She would put important quotes in bold and refer to them later in the story. I was excited when I reached a sentence that brought a “light bulb” moment because of its relation to an earlier sentence. She also provided explanation by expanding on a memory. Overall, I would definitely recommend this novel to everyone. It contains a passion for art, history, friendship, and family.

The Zoe & Chloe series is imaginatively written by Sue Limb. Zoe & Chloe are inseparable friends taking a roller coaster ride through their first year in Junior High. The novel: On The Prowl, teaches the reader to strive for what you desire, while still holding onto your originality and relationships.

” To be honest, I was in such a fabulous state of turmoil, I didn’t know where to begin.”
-Zoe

Zoe and Chloe are destined to find somebody to take them to the Earthquake Ball. This novel is from Zoe’s perspective but accurately describes both characters and their friendship. Together, they make a decision to interview possible escorts to the dance but their efforts fail to find someone to their liking. Between school dramas, crushes, and embarrassing themselves, Zoe’s sister falls into debt at college. Not only must Zoe save Chloe from Beast Hawkins, but her love for her sister also risks all her friend’s summer savings. Through their constant struggles with one day to Earthquake Ball, the story displays that peers, usually your close friends, and your everyday choices will play a role in future decisions. Zoe and Chloe end up taking their completely nerdy, but loyal friends Toby and Fergus and disguise in mysterious tuxedos.

Sue Lim is a very humorous and entertaining author. There were parts where you had to laugh but I found this book slightly immature to what I expected. There was a scene where they were interviewing a potential date and while pretending to be super professional, Chloe’s bean diet backfired, literally. I would probably not recommend this book to anyone over fourteen, because the reading level was also boring. I also don’t plan on reading the sequel. Overall the moral of the story was worth the read, because it made me realize what role my friends do play in my life. It also displayed how your decisions, experiences, and expectations always affect the next choice you are faced with.

“Pretties,” is the second novel in Scott Westerfield’s Uglies trilogy. “Pretties” continues the story of Tally after she turned herself in to Special Circumstances. Gorgeous and brainwashed, Tally forgets everything about the brain lesions and the experimental cure. Her new life consists of non-stop parties and high-tech luxury, but beneath it all, Tally remembers something more.

Tally is voted into the Crims, the most popular social group where entry is based on your tricking history. Tally catches the attention of the head Crim, Zane. When Tally attends a party at Garbo Mansion, she meets a mysterious man in the stairwell who informs her of a package hidden for her. His directions lead her to the roof of Valentino Mansion, where she finds a letter written to herself and two pills. The letter reminds her of her ugly days and the cure, but she is hesitant to take the pills. When Special Circumstances invades the roof, Tally and Zane take one pill each. Zane starts experiencing severe migraines and trouble breathing, but a broken wrist lands him in the hospital. Tally becomes worried the doctors will notice the missing lesion, but in New Pretty Town, the technology fixes his wrist within hours. Desperate to return to the Smoke and cure Zane, Tally and Zane gather a few Crims and plan an escape. Because the Crims have a reputation to trick, climbing the roofs of mansions and breaking through the hovering ice rink has left them “bubbly.” This new, and clearer outlook has brought back the feelings of their ugly days. Shay is reminded of Tally’s betrayal and misses out on their planned escape, leaving her betrayed once again. The citizens of the New Smoke always check for trackers, and after Zane falls ill, a signal is sent out. The tracker is in Zane’s tooth, and another Special Circumstances invasion is ten minutes away. Torn between her love for Zane and her past with David, Tally orders the citizens of New Smoke to run and leave Zane and her to Special Circumstances. The tooth was the act of Special Circumstances, and was the cause of the headaches. The pills were supposed to be taken together. One pill was to kill the brain lesion tissue and another to stop when the patient is cured. As this realization unfolds, it reveals more secrets. Tally’s pill never would have had an effect without Zane’s pill; she cured herself through her constant bubbly attitude. The Specials were also aware of Zane’s lesion-killing pill, stopped it the night at the hospital, and inserted a tracker that would deliver headaches to encourage them to return to the Smoke. As the Specials invade, a familiar face steps out of the hovercar. Harsh and fierce-looking, Shay is a Special. With her last chance to get revenge on Tally, she turns Tally into her worst nightmare: Special Circumstances.

Similar to Uglies, the decisions Tally made had consequences. Tally made her decision to turn pretty, because the cure was promising. Tally and Zane’s continued attempts to keep the Crims “bubbly,” benefited the group, but also hurt Tally’s friendship with Shay. In the end, this resulted in becoming a dreaded authority. Although Tally made her decisions based on apathy for the group, it almost killed Zane. Her plans to save Zane also came close to destroying the Smoke again. Tally’s also betrayed Shay again and Shay found the opportunity for revenge by joining Special Circumstances. This could demonstrate consequences.

Scott Westerfield kept my interest by relating Tally’s situation to the same dream. Although the plot of this trilogy is different and I still disagree with the ugly/pretty comparison, I enjoyed reading it. There was a small portion of the book that I had trouble understanding the purpose of, but as I flipped through the pages, it began to make sense. Scott Westerfield wrote these books as a trilogy because it is impossible to read the Pretties without reading Uglies.I would recommend “Pretties” because it teaches the reader how decisions will always have consequences, whether they are positive or negative, through an exciting plot.

Lurlene McDaniel’s “Angels Trilogy,” brought tragedy and romance into the life of Leah Lewis-Hall. It teaches the reader that through life’s ups and downs , angels appear in the most unexpected places. With one broken finger, Leah’s world is turned completely upside down.

While Leah’s mother is away on her honeymoon with husband number five, Leah is stuck alone in an Indianapolis hospital. A simple broken finger turns into some tests, until Leah is diagnosed with bone cancer and faced with the possible amputation of her leg. Leah is absolutely miserable, then she meets the Longacres, a caring Amish family. Her new roommate, Rebekah has suffered a reaction from a spider bite. The Longacre captivate Leah with their simple and religious ways, and she finds comfort in their company. She also catches the eye of Ethan Longacre, Rebekah’s sixteen-year old brother, and develops a friendship with Charity, Rebekah’s fourteen year old sister. Together, they inform Leah of their practical and strict ways. Every night, a mysterious Gabriella comes into Rebekah and Leah’s room. She isn’t on the hospital staff, and when she touches Leah’s knee, all the tests come back with positive outcomes. As her love towards Ethan grows, her relationship with her new stepfather also grows. Neil shows her the benefits of a father, and her Amish friends invite her to visit often. Leah can’t escape the suspicion of Mr. Longacre, and later learns of Eli, Ethan’s older brother who left the Amish ways. This is highly despised in the Amish community. Neil assists Ethan in the search of his long lost brother. Leah is left clueless to Neil’s reoccurrence of liver cancer and it doesn’t look so good this time. Unexpectedly, Rebekah becomes the victim of an accident. A truck has swerved into the Amish produce stand and has left a six year-old girl on life support. Rebekah passes away and tears the Amish community apart. Months later, Neil passes away from cancer, leaving Leah and her mother heartbroken. Ethan stayed with Leah while Neil was sick, and after he passes away. He’s taking his “fling” and starts dressing English and learning the English ways. Desperate to keep Ethan forever, Leah is hurt by his request to return home.

Throughout this trilogy, the audience is taught the simplicity of the Amish. They live without running water, electricity, or cars. Their values evolve around religion and agriculture. I would find this very difficult. Each teenage boy is given the opportunity to experience the English lifestyle before making their decision to be baptized. Leah should have known that Ethan was connected to the land and his home, and she would never be able to steal him from his future. Their love was forbidden by the Amish community, but they couldn’t resist their feelings. In the end, Leah’s decision to fall for Ethan resulted in heartbreak. She was also hurt by her mother’s decision to protect her from Neil’s illness. Leah didn’t understand until Neil was hospitalized. This proves that our parents will make decisions to protect us, even when we think they just end up hurting us. It was an important decision because Leah couldn’t deal with Neil’s illness when she had been diagnosed with cancer of her own. Ethan’s decision was based on his values and family, even though he had strong feelings for Leah. This could demonstrate Values.

The Amish were very religions. They attend regular church service and very child has their own bible. They felt they were tied to the land. When Rebekah told Leah about the existence of angels, she didn’t believe her. When the mysterious Gabriella appears in their hospital room, cures Leah, and returns the lost diary of the nurse’s sister, she begins to believe. There was also a scene in the novel after Rebekah’s funeral that Leah sees Gabriella and Rebekah in the forest. The Longacres feel she is lying until Leah explains Rebekah was waving a handkerchief, which Nana Longacre admits she placed in Rebekah’s coffin. I would have to say I believe in guardian angels, but I’m not sure they communicate with their patients personally. I would recommend the Angels Trilogy to teenage girls. They would find meaning in the story easier than boys, and it includes a romance. The plot was depressing, but kept the reader’s interest within Leah’s changing emotions.

“Uglies” changes the meaning of turning sixteen. Tally Youngblood is anxious to turn sixteen, and its not because of a license. Scott Westerfield introduces us to a high-tech world, where turning sixteen brings an operation that makes everyone supermodel gorgeous. The operation moves you to “New Pretty Town,” where you’re always expected to party and have a really great time.

When Tally’s best friend Peris recieves his operation, Tally is left alone and “ugly.” Tally’s new friend Shay is also awaiting her sixteenth birthday, and its on the same day as Tally. Uglies have the reputation to trick, and they have permission to get away with it. Tally and Shay grow as friends and spend every minute hanging out, hoverboarding, and tricking the new uglies on campus. Shay decides she doesn’t want to turn pretty at all and runs away. Their birthday arrives and Tally’s operation is scheduled, but her ride takes a detour to Special Circumstances. The Specials, who act as the authority for uglies and pretties give Tally a choice: find Shay and turn her in or never turn pretty at all. Shay has traveled to the Smoke, a small, self-reliant, village in the middle of nowhere. Shay’s coded directions lead Tally to the Smoke, where she is supposed to activate the rescue signal within her necklace. Tally decides she can’t betray her new life in the Smoke, especially Shay, because she has already stolen David from her. David’s parents teach something Tally never expected: the operation doesnt just change your appearance, it changes your mind too. The brain lesions that result from turning pretty make you forget most of your past and become carefree and unaware to absolutely everything except partying. Tally’s attempt to destroy the necklace activates the signal, and Special Circumstances invade and destroy the Smoke. Only Tally and David escape, but go on to save five others from Special Circumstances. David’s father isn’t one of them as the operation killed him, and there’s something wrong with Shay too. She’s pretty. David’s mother discovers the cure to the brain lesions but Shay won’t give permission to experiment with the one percent chance she could be left braindead. Tally writes a letter to herself explaining what she will soon forget, and gives her consent to take the medication. She then hoverboards away from David, and her ugly life one last time.

Scott Westerfield took a different point of view on the world, as our generation could be considered the “Rusties.” It was fairly relevant though, because it explains that we came very close to destroying the planet. The plot describes important decisions we may have to make based on action or apathy. The choices Tally makes throughout the story are based on bravery. The most fierce-looking Specials persuaded Tally to betray Shay to better herself. They already knew everything before she even told them. Tally’s decsion to betray their orders was not only for her future, but all of Smoke. She knew that activating the signal would destroy dozens of lives, and they would all be created into brainwashed pretties. She was aware of the consequences that the Specials might place on her, but her attempts to save the Smoke actually ruined it. She knew that she had betrayed Shay twice now, because David had lost interest in Shay when he met Tally. When Tally’s truth is revealed, it was like they all had expected it. Before, she had never dreamed of anything but being pretty. “Uglies” demonstrates that through betrayal and mistakes, it is possible to move ahead. Tally’s decision to turn herself in to confirm the cure could work was an example of this.

Uglies had an unusual storyline. I thought it was really harsh that Scott Westerfield could base a novel on appearance. The comparisons between ugly and pretty were evident in almost every chapter. It expanded on human flaws, such as when a character was “ugly,” they were jealous, moody, and last but not least: unique. I absolutely disagree with this. It was a fiction and I understand that, but being yourself is much more beautiful than enduring surgery to make you perfect. The characters in this book didn’t know the difference. They were raised to look forward to turning pretty, and they couldn’t understand anything else. I would still recommend this book to teens because it provided an intersting read.

“Letting Go of Lisa,” is the second novel I have read by Lurlene McDaniel. This book was also a story of tragedy and loss. Her description and relation of earlier quotes make the story captivating, and even more tragic. After being home-schooled his whole life, Nathan must enroll in a public school for his senior year. On his first day, a motorcycle cuts in front of Nathan. The passenger of this Harley happens to be the school’s most intimidating brunette.

Lisa is absolutely carefree, and Nathan becomes intrigued by her unusual attitude towards life. Desperate to catch her attention, Nathan will do anything to get her alone. He’s never had feelings so strong for anyone like Lisa before, but she holds a tragic secret: she’s been diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor and it’s growing again. Lisa is destined to make the most of her high school years without developing close friendships. She turns rebellious, and goes to college parties, drinks, and drives a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Nathan is quick to fall for Lisa and confesses his love, only to reveal the deepest side of Lisa. Nathan is only one who has attempted to get to know her, and Lisa is overwhelmed when he shows her how comforting it can be to forget about the tumor and live normally. Lisa decides to deal with the cancer, medication, and treatment by herself, and leaves town unexpectedly. Her condition has grown worse, and Nathan isn’t about to give up. He finds Lisa, and discovers closure in her last wishes and goodbyes.

Like Hit and Run, an earlier review I wrote, Letting Go of Lisa explained doubt and fears. Lisa knew all along that her tumor could be fatal. Nathan fell for Lisa, just as his best friend had predicted on the first day. Lisa restrained herself from her feelings to Nathan, until she knew it wasn’t worth the fight. Lurlene McDaniel explains that comfort can be found in our relationships with others. Lisa made the decision to deal with her condition by herself, but Nathan found her anyways. As the memory of Nathan’s older sister enforces his mother’s strict rules, Nathan tests the trust of his parents. His differences with his mothers subside when Lisa passes away and his mother teaches him how to find comfort in letting go.

I’ve never had to deal with the loss of a sibling or close peer, and I hope I never will. Lurlene McDaniel’s writing explains death and illness to teens. Her comparison of the poem Lisa wrote in English with the text message to Nathan when Lisa died made the story captivating. I would recommend “Letting Go of Lisa,” to any teenager looking for a story of romance or trying to find inspiration in the loss of someone close to them.

In this shocking survival thriller, Alex McAuley introduces us to Oblivion Road. Oblivion Road brings the suspense, fear, and will to survive into one of the most dramatic survival stories yet. This horrific novel conveys that in life and death situations, the choices you make always have the chance to make life worse.

When a car accident leaves five teenagers stranded along an isolated road in Colorado during a blizzard, they weigh their options of survival. Survivors always say that a tragedy changes a person, and Courtney notices this in Jeremy, the driver of their SUV. Courtney and Reyna set out to seek help and discover an abandoned vehicle nearby. The vehicle turns out to be a prison van, with a murdered guard, and its inmates missing. Upon returning to their friends, a prisoner stumbles out of the forest and collapses outside. Faced with the choice to leave him to die or take the risk that he knows where to find help, a majority vote lands in the prisoner’s favor. He’s in handcuffs and unable to injure, right?

J.G. claims to be innocent regarding the guards death, and says he was only in jail for his addiction and distribution of crystal meth. He continues to tell them about a small town 13 miles away and talks Courtney through the procedures to save Melanie’s leg. They trust him, even with a few doubts, but survival is all that matters. J.G. warns them of Leonard Bell, a psychopath serial killer who has murdered his family and cannibalized his sister. As they set out on their journey with J.G. to Pine Valley, Courtney, Reyna, and Jeremy are oblivious to the life-altering situations awaiting them. From the fear of being followed by Leonard Bell, Oblivion Road has unexpected twists all the way to the end. Between an arm amputation, wolf attacks, murder, exhaustion, injury, and threat, only four will survive. The biggest lie unfolds, and the tables are turned as the teens must put aside starvation, dehydration, and hypothermia, to fight for their lives.

Oblivion Road deals with consequences. Every decision the teens made affected their outcome. They had to take chances and put their needs before personal issues.The five teenagers had to fight their biggest fear: death. With their doubts of J.G., and the loss of Jeremy, they still put aside their pain and worry. Reyna’s decision to amputate her arm was huge, but it was all in the pursuit of rescue. Jeremy, Courtney, and Reyna trusted an escaped prisoner with their lives, and this choice backfired on them. They will live the rest of their lives knowing that if they hadn’t cut the handcuffs on J.G., Jeremy wouldn’t be dead.

Oblivion Road had unbelievable description, as it takes around 300 pages to describe approximately 4 or 5 days. It is not a book for anyone with a weak stomach for gruesome outcomes. I even had to put it down once or twice because it turns into a horror story where an axe wasn’t used to chop wood. Alex McAuley carries the reader’s interest from page one, and introduced drama throughout. I would recommend this book to any teenager, as its intensity makes it difficult to put down.

Throughout “A Handful of Time,” Kit Pearson based this story on the theory of time travel. I don’t believe traveling through time is very likely, but it makes an intriguing plot for a fiction, much like this one. Kit Pearson introduces her readers to Patricia Potter, a shy twelve year old girl who learns of her mother’s past and uses it to overcome obstacles and discover her identity.

While her parents work out the details of their divorce, Patricia Potter is sent to Alberta to visit her aunt and uncle at the lake. Within days, it is obvious that she doesn’t fit in with her cousins. She can’t paddle a canoe and has never built a fort or fished. Her Aunt Ginnie’s sympathy for Patricia continues to get Kelly, Trevor, Christie, and Peggy into trouble, even when Patricia would rather tend to the baby or help her aunt in the kitchen. Patricia’s isolation leads her to “La Petit,” a small cabin her family owns. As she explores her new hideout, she also discovers an old watch hidden beneath a loose floorboard. “For my dear Patricia, with fondest love from Wilfred,” is inscribed on the golden watch. The watch belongs to her grandmother. When Patricia winds this watch, she discovers that time in the present pauses and she is thrown back through time to the summer when her mother was twelve. Invisible in the past, Patricia follows her mother and uncles, through their daily lives. She endures her mother’s struggles with strict parents, unfair sibling treatment, and the persuasion to be “ladylike.” While living in two time periods, Patricia begins to realize how similar her and her mother really are, and this gives her time to sort out her feelings about the divorce. She uses the watch to escape the bullying of her cousins, and learns of her family’s history. Patricia’s secret teaches her about identity and self-discovery. After her grandmother’s visit, the watch unexpectedly breaks and is unable to wind Patricia into the past anymore. Acceptance is reached when Patricia spends more time with her cousins and they are surprised by her new fishing, canoe, and swimming potential, along with her ability to fulfill their household responsibilities. When summer concludes, reality sinks in and Patricia chooses to build her relationship with her mother, even if it means travelling to London. Her mother confesses to Patricia about the watch and how 35 years ago, she deliberately hid it beneath the floorboards. On her way back home to Ontario, they decide to stop in Calgary to visit Patricia’s grandmother and return her long lost watch.

“A Handful of Time,” was a book with one of the closest settings to my life. The book is carried out on a lake near Edmonton. I found this really shocking, as I’ve never read a book based in Alberta. The weather was the usual too, as it was warm a few days, and then cool and raining. Kit Pearson deals with identity and human ideals. When Patricia traveled into the past, she began to find herself. At the same time, she learned of her mother’s expectations and her struggle to be accepted by her grandmother’s ladylike ideals. I could also relate to Patricia’s decision at the end of the story because my parents are also divorced and my brothers and I live with my mom. I am so thankful that I wasn’t twelve when they divorced, and I never had to choose where or who to live with. Our mother made this choice for us over 12 years ago, and we grew accustomed to the custody routines.

Kit Pearson added excitement to the original summer at the lake story. I can’t imagine being Patricia who has never experienced camping at the lake. I love the lake and my summer would ultimately be ruined if I couldn’t to go. I wouldn’t recommend this book to older readers, as Kit Pearson wrote for an audience aged 8-16. I enjoyed this book, but I would probably enjoy a more mature book better.

I loved reading Hit and Run by Lurlene McDaniel. She is a very talented writer that twisted the drama of high school into four unique perspectives. When I began reading, it seemed like it would be difficult to follow the story while changing to a different character’s view every chapter. This was a different technique of writing but it was the perfect way, as it clearly stated each person’s opinion and expressed their guilt, pain, hope, and personality.

Hit and Run introduces the reader to four main characters: Analise, Laurie, Quin, and Jeremy. Innocent Analise has everything she needs: a caring family, best friend, and boyfriend, Jeremy. After babysitting late one night, Analise follows her regular routine and rides her bike home. Little does she know that this will be her last time. Jeremy, hopelessly in love with Analise and a part-time carpenter, begins to think the worse when a call from Analise’s parents explain she never returned home last night. Laurie can’t stand how her mother continuously reminds her that high school should be the best part of a girl’s life. She doesn’t understand that Laurie isn’t queen bee like her, and fails to live up to her expectations. When high school jock, Quin Palmer asks Laurie to a party, she is overwhelmed and simply ignores the fact that he doesn’t just want to get to know her better. On the ride home, Laurie is awoken by the clash of metal and screeching brakes. Quin examines the car and claims it was just a deer; no need to worry right? When the pieces start to fall into place weeks later, Laurie fears that it was not a deer they hit, but the girl that is now hospitalized in a coma. She confesses her worries to Quin, who ended up ignoring her after she refused to sleep with him. Quin decides that he will let nothing stand in the way of the baseball scholarships that await him after graduation. His father covers up any evidence of the damaged bumper, while Laurie blackmails him into being in a official relationship with her until they graduate to attain her desired popularity. The story goes into the depths of Analise’s thoughts in the hospital bed and effectively displays Jeremy’s pain of watching her suffer. When guilt takes its toll on Laurie and she realizes she can’t force Quin or herself to be happy in their relationship, she confesses the truth to the police and contributes a letter to Analise’s yearbook tribute. It’s too late though, as Analise passes away. Heartbroken, Jeremy decides to put his craftsmanship to use, building the casket he will soon bury his first love in.

I step back, look over the box. the finish is flawless. “It’s ready.” He leaves, and I know he’ll take his time so I can be alone for little while. One last thing to do. I pick up the plaque and the drill. When the drill stops, quiet comes. I see days without Analise stretching in front of me. When she was in the coma, at least I could see and touch her. Now, I can’t. This is the hardest part for me. I run my fingers over the words burned into the plaque, fighting to keep my cool. Our angel sleeps here. For as long as the world spins and the earth is green with new wood, she will lie in this box and not in my arms. “Goodbye, my angel.”
-Jeremy, Hit and Run; Lurlene McDaniel

Hit and Run had an amazing storyline, even with the devastating end. I had never read any book where the reader has to switch characters. This was interesting though, because I always wanted to see what each character thought about the situation and each other. Analise’s death was hard to imagine, as I have never had to cope with the loss of a close friend or peer. Hit and Run could also explain doubt and fears. Analise’s death forced the characters to deal with tragedy. Jeremy found comfort and closure in carpentry, while Laurie overcame her fears by admitting them.

Lurlene McDaniel wrote from the perspectives of both typical teenage boys and girls. I would recommend this book to all young adults because it teaches the life lesson that even when we never wanted to hurt anybody, we make choices that cannot be changed and must accept the consequences to find love, face reality, and go on. Continue Reading »