The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter

 

Genre: Young Adult, Adult, Realistic Fiction

Source: I purchased a copy

    This is actually a reread for me. I purchased this book when it first came out. A friend at school told me about it because the author was a friend and she knew I reviewed books.  I absolutely loved it. However, I somehow forgot to write my review. To do it justice I reread the book. It was just as painful the second time around. 

    Cassie doesn't trust anyone to love her. Her mother is abusive both physically and mentally. She finally has Cassie put in a mental institute until she is eighteen. Cassie leaves there and heads off to college where she tries to rebuild relationships and make new ones. Sometimes the past just won't let go and like powerful waves will continue to drag you under.

    Unlike many books that start out like this, Cassies gives us hope things can change for the better. She gives us hope that relationships can be renewed. You can never go back and undo the damage that has been done. You can choose to move forward and forge new relationships, even with those who broke up that relationship. Cassie is a courageous character. What you read is raw and make you evaluate the realtionships in your own life.  This should be a must read for teens everywhere.

 

Student Saturday: Count All Her Bones by April Henry

Student Reviewer: Sophia H.

The main character is Cheyenne. She is blind, has a service dog and a bodyguard named Jadra. Her trouble begins the night Griffen Sawyer sole a car, and accidently stole Cheyenne who was in the back seat. He panicked and took her home where is father held her for money. Griffen helped her escape. Now his father is awaiting trial. Griffen's father won't give up so he has his henchmen capture her again.  This time he doesn't want money, he wants her dead. Will she survive? What about Griffen?

This book is similar to a lot of real-world events. For example, a blind Portland girl named Heather Wilson was kidnapped when she was in the back seat of her mother's car and it was hijacked. I recommend this book to anyone 11-100 years old. It is great for a light night read. The best in my opinion.

Student Saturday: Four Days of You and Me by Miranda Kenneally

 

Student Reviewer: Amati

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction (some mature themes)

Lulu and Alex are enemies I high school and at the end of each of their high school years they go to a big field trip. In their freshman year they go to a science museum. They get stuck together in a room. Do they work together to get out? In their sophomore year they go to Six Flags and Lulu falls in the water causing her top to come off  and Alex is the only one around. Does he help her or leaver her to save herself? I their junior year they have a choice to go watch a football game or go to an art museum. Lulu goes to the museum and Alex goes to watch the game. The game gets boring so he goes and talks to Lulu. They begin flirting. In their senior year London is their last trip and there is so much going on in both of their lives. Will this brin them closer or will they remain enemies.

Many decisions were made in the book. For example, Lulu was talking about how her ex-boyfriend had moved on so quickly and she said “how can he move on this easily? This quickly?” When she said that it made me wonder, how do people move on so quickly after things end so with the person they supposedly loved? I mean, if you really love someone, how would you be able to move on to a new person so quickly? When Lulu and Alex break up and get back together throughout the book, Lulu can’t get over the fact that he moves on fairly quickly while she is stuck, unable to move on from the heartbreak.

The book is similar to my life because just like Lulu, I learned that fallin in and out of love a a part of life. Not everyone’s perfect. Lulu learned to deal with her feelings for Alex and sometimes I’ve got to deal with my feelings too. Lulu got to travel a lot for school field trips and I’ve always thought that was pretty cool for students to do. I would like to travel as well. This book was similar to other books I’ve read because I enjoy reading enemies to lovers and love  the way the story ended.