In Search Of Sam

      This beautiful novel, In Search of Sam, by Kristin Butcher is technically a sequel to the novel Truths I Learned From Sam, but it works well as a stand alone novel as well. I did not read the first novel, and never felt confused or like I was missing any important details. However, I will probably seek out and read the first novel since I enjoyed this one so much. Also, throughout this novel I had to remind myself that it is in fact fiction, because some of the happenings going on are a bit far-fetched for an 18 year old girl to make happen.
     Dani is a fierce, independent 18 year old girl who lives with her mother and step-father. She spent the past summer with her biological father - not nearly long enough - before he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and died soon after. Upon his death, Dani learns that she is to inherit everything that belonged to her father Sam. So Dani decides to take a solo trip to meet the lawyer who handled Sam's affairs, much to the concern of her mother. The story doesn't stop here though, because Sam wants more information. Her father was an orphan, left on the doorstep of a family in a small city named Farrow, before he was removed by Canadian Services at the age of six due to not being properly adopted by the family he stayed with. Dani wants answers - Where did her father come from? Who were his real parents? What else can she find out about Sam that will bring her closer to him?
      In Farrow, Dani becomes charmed with the decaying city and has hopes and dreams of turning the place around. She meets Alex, an incredibly talented artist, who ends of being an essential piece of her family tree. She befriends the lady at the bed and breakfast she is staying at and comes up with dream and ideas to resurrect Farrow. Then, while still searching for anything linked to her father, she puts her plans in motion. She calls upon Sam's good friend to help organize the town's revival, her step-father in hopes he will set up a distribution center in Farrow to create jobs and more.
     But does Dani get the answers she's looking for about her father, Sam? And is she able to pull off resurrecting the almost ghost-city Farrow? This novel is one of determination, self-discovery and coming of age. The story line was great, the ending was perfect. I did not want to put this novel down. I'm looking forward to more novels by Butcher in the future!

Weight of Guilt

     The Weight of Guilt, by Jon Ripslinger, is a young adult novel featuring John Hawk. John Hawk, by his own words, is cursed. He was at a party with his girlfriend Riley, and when driving her home taking back roads, was hit by a car that killed Riley. John walked away with minor injuries, and everyone blamed him for Riley's death. Racked by guilt for a crime he didn't commit, John goes to live with his sister to finish out high school. His plan is to blend into the background and don't make a commotion - go unnoticed and don't cause any trouble.
     This plan doesn't work for long, as the principal's daughter Megan has set her eyes on John. Soon, Megan has cornered John and convinced him to go to prom with her. After prom, Megan drops John off at his house and they have plans for the next day. But Megan goes missing, and all fingers point to John. With John's history with the law, everyone is quick to judge and call him guilty. But John is innocent, and can't believe what he's gotten himself in to.
     The second half of the novel really picks up, with exciting turns and twists at every page turn. Megan's best friend Charly gets involved when Megan turns up dead, believing John when he says he's innocent. The two get involved with some evil people who want to keep them quiet, and they are in for the fight of their life to stay alive.
     What happens to John and Charly? Who killed Megan? Why is John cursed and will his dad ever believe him that he's not involved? Find out when you pick up and read The Weight of Guilt!

Paper Towns

      Paper Towns, by John Green, is a coming of age novel about two seniors who have grown up together as neighbors. I admit, I constantly passed this book in the bookstore and never picked it up to read. Everyone seemed to be raving about it, especially after the success of The Fault in Our Stars by the same author. But it wasn't until I saw a preview of the movie of this book that I actually went down and bought and read it. This book kept my attention throughout for the most part, yes, but it was very underwhelming and I hated the unsatisfying ending. I wanted to throw the book after I finished the last pages, actually.
     So, the chick in the novel, Margo Roth Spiegelmen, is the all-American girl and neighbor, Quentin. Quentin is the main voice of the novel, and Q is in complete love with Margo. So one night, after they haven't spoken in years, Margo appears in Quentin's window in the middle of the night to have an epic adventure. I am hooked at this point in the novel, I love that Margo is going around doing these things teens only ever dream of. But then Margo goes missing the next morning, seemingly haven run off, as she has done in the past. This adventure seems amazing, but far fetched as they are very unprepared, basically stay up driving the entire time, get in a car crash with no damage or injuries and find Margo.
    But something happens when they find Margo that didn't really sit well with me, or with other people either it seems as I read some reviews. What happens to Margo and Quentin? Well you better read to find out...or just watch the movie when it premiers later this year :)
    My verdict: 3.4 stars, and yes, I'll probably still go see the movie. 

Painless

      I had really high expectations for Painless, especially after reading an except from Buzzbook's 2015 YA release. However, I feel the author, S. A. Harazin, tried to accomplish too much in this short novel.

      David Hart is a seventeen year old with CIPA. CIPA is an extremely rare, fatal disease where one cannot feel pain, produce tears or regulate one's own body temperature. Most born with CIPA die before they are teenagers, and it's a miracle that David's grandparents have kept him alive this far. David needs constant care in order to make sure his body isn't over or under-heating and that he doesn't have any potentially fatal injuries that he can't feel.

      David lives with his grandmother because his mother abandoned him as a baby and his father, seemingly unable to care for David's medical leaves, also abandoned David at his grandparent's house and never came back. David has always wanted to find his mother and father (and laugh in their faces!) and begins the journey to find them during this novel.

      This novel takes you on a journey through David's sheltered eyes to find love, independence and freedom. 

      Now..where I think the author lost a lot of people in this novel was in the overuse of medical problems the characters were given. This novel is pretty complex, which I praise it for, and makes it hard for me to give a brief review on, but you have David's CIPA, his grandmother's dementia and  Luna's cancer to deal with just to list a few. I think if the author had just fully focused on CIPA, a rare disease itself, that a lot more could of been accomplished. Instead, David fell a little flat at me for times because he wasn't always the focus, even though he's the main character.

     Overall, I did enjoy the book, I just wasn't fully satisfied by it.