The After Girls by Leah Konen

Pages: 304

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Source:  I won a copy from Kids Buzz

From Goodreads:

Ella, Astrid, and Sydney were planning the perfect summer after high school graduation. But when Astrid commits suicide in a lonely cabin, the other girls' worlds are shattered. How could their best friend have done this--to herself and to them? They knew everything about Astrid. Shouldn't they have seen this coming? Couldn't they have saved her?

As Ella hunts for the truth, and Sydney tries to dull the pain, a chilling message from Astrid leaves them wondering whether their beloved friend is communicating from the after life. The girls embark on a journey to uncover Astrid's dark secrets. The answers to those questions--questions they never dreamed of asking--will change their lives forever.

My Thoughts:

I found this review in the middle of some papers I was grading.  I thought I had already posted it.  Better late than never.

Sydney, Ella, and Astrid have been best friends for years. They make plans for the future. Those plans are ruined when Astrid commits suicide.  Sydney and Ella are left to pick up the pieces.  They both believe they should have seen it coming.  They should have been able to see the signs.  They knew she was often dark and moody, but they chalked it up to just her personality.  After her death they each deal with it differently.

Ella starts getting phone messages she believes are from Astrid.  How can that be?  She’s dead. She keeps searching for the reasons, sure that Astrid would have left her a message as to the reason.

When they say opposites attract they were not kidding.  Sydney was very outgoing and not always in a good way. Astrid was the opposite of Sydney.  She was always withdrawn and kept a lot of secrets from her friends.  She valued each of them for different reasons.  Ella was the one who seemed to balance out the trio.  She was the level headed one, the strong one.  In real life if I had to pick one of them to be my go-to person it would have been Ella.  It is funny that I had friends like this.  They ranged from one extreme to the other.  I was a very shy person and would occasionally do things I knew my parents would not approve of because my outgoing friend Patty would encourage me.  I don’t mean bad things.  Simple things such as wearing my skirts rolled up to right below my butt. I went to school every day with dresses below my knees.  I also wore makeup at school knowing I was not allowed to wear it.  Montana was my friend who was my voice of reason.  She was not over the top like Patty but would try to show me that I was fine the way I was.  This book hit many cords in my life.  Some of them were painful.  It was a great book caused me to reflect on my teen years.  I believe this book can be a big help to teens with the issues they have today.  If I had to compare it to a book I would compare it to books by Jay Asher or Laurie Halse Anderson. 

I am pleased to see an author who is willing to take on those tough topics for teens.  This is one I definitely recommend to teens.

Winter Solstice Winter - E.J. Squires

Publisher: CreateSpace
Pages: 438
Genre: Fantasy, YA/New Adult
Source: I received a review copy in exchange for my honest review

From Goodreads:
It’s not easy being a seventeen-year-old adopted peasant girl in the Viking-inhabited Northlandic Kingdom, especially when you have terrifying mare dreams of an evil Empress named Eiess, and when your friends oust you because they think you are cursed. But Ailia's on the verge of discovering that she hasn't even seen the tip of the iceberg that sleeps below...

On Winter Solstice Ailia visits her favorite place to ponder: a large cliff overlooking her hometown. On her way home, Eiess and an army of Vikings capture her before attacking the Northlandic Kingdom. After usurping the Northlandic Throne, Eiess immediately suspends the seasons on the darkest and coldest day of the year and begins her preparations for the prophesied battle to end all battles.

Princess Lucia, sole heir to the Nothlandic Throne, is taken prisoner by Eiess and is thrown into the castle’s tower. For months, Lucia wastes away, never knowing when this nightmare of beatings, starvation and bitter cold will end. But when she miraculously escapes, she learns that she has a twin sister she must find before Eiess completely destroys the Northlandic Kingdom.

Months later, Ailia wakes up in a glacier cave with no memory of how she ended up there. On her way home, a handsome, yet mysterious young man named Soren rescues her from wolves and a dangerous shape-shifter. Ailia is immediately drawn to Soren, thinking she knows him from somewhere, maybe from her dreams of another life? He reveals he is a Sentinor sent by the gods to defeat Eiess and is waiting to be reunited with his soul mate, Lucia, so they together can defeat the Empress.

As Eiess continues to amass her forces, Ailia, Lucia and Soren are about to discover that their destinies are intertwined behind a veil of dark secrets and lies. If they are to take back the Northlandic Throne, they must work together and form an alliance.

But their mission to overthrow the Empress is stalled when the secrets and lies surface. And when a strong love develops between two, jealousy and duplicity arise between them, causing one of them to betray the others – a betrayal which puts their lives and the lives of humanity in grave danger. 

WINTER SOLSTICE WINTER is a Young Adult/New Adult fantasy romance set in the Viking Era. With Suspense, Norse paranormal elements and a breathtaking soul mate love story, it's a great read for those who enjoy a page-turning story. This is the first book in its series.

My Thoughts:
I was intrigued by the thought of a fresh story line involving Norse mythology and vikings.  I'm game for reading things I haven't read before if the story line seems interesting.  The synopsis I read could not hold a candle to what I actually read.  This is one of those books that once you start it you really don't want anything to interrupt it.
The author has created a world that you get wrapped up in and don't want to leave.  The details she adds, as well as the twists and turns makes this a fast paced read and one you will want to recommend to everyone you know who loves fantasy. We find three lives entwined in an age old tale of good versus evil. But just when you think you know it all, you realize you don't.  I look forward to the second book in the series.  It is definitely a must read.

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Four More Picture Books

Ann's Cupcake stand by Jennifer Ogden

This is a "sweet" story told in rhyme. Ann is a young girl who gets this great idea to make and sell cupcakes. She gets her friend Fran, who likes her brother Dan to help her. They make the cupcakes and sell them, quickly running out. They end up getting more help and make a lot more as the line for their delicious cupcakes grows.  They learn that running their own business is not enough, they must clean up after themselves.
The story teaches children to plan and follow through with whatever they attempt to do. Great and colorful illustrations enhance the writing. This is a book to recommend to every young child you know.

T-Bone The flying Horse by Janice Virant

T-Bone was a small lonely horse. He wanted to be a racehorse. He wanted a friend and someone to love him. One day he gets adopted by a young girl who loved him. She taught him how to jump and leap. The one day T-Bone starts to grow wings.When the wings grew large enough, because of the girls love for him, she is taken on a flying trip around the world. When their world trip was over he left her knowing he would always be in her heart.

Kurt, Gert, Jazmine, and bagel by Irene Dolnick

This book is not only a cute story about true friendship and being a risk-taker, but it has a strong phonics lesson to it. Kurt, Gert, and Jazmine are three beagles who love to play together. When the weather turns cold Jazmine is literally left out in the cold until she meets Bagel. bagel asks her to go to a warmer climate with him.  She really wants to but is afraid she will lose him by going with him.  She learns that friends remain friends no matter where they are.

Poppy and the Fat Puppy by Eli Jay

I have read many of the Poppy books and really enjoy them, as do my grand kids. Poppy the balloon finds a sad, fat puppy in the park.  He tells Poppy that his name is Fat Puppy.  All Fat Puppy wants is a home.  Poppy takes Fat Puppy to the vet. The vet tells Poppy that Fat Puppy needs to eat healthier foods, get plenty of exercise and lose weight.  Poppy works with Fat Puppy for several wees. Soon Fat Puppy is no longer fat and is healthy. Poppy takes him back to the Vet where he gets a new home and a new name.
This book is written and illustrated simply, yet the message goes a lot deeper.  It prompts discussion about eating healthy, getting plenty of exercise.  These are things we need to start talking about  with our children at a very young age if we wish them to get the message.