Wannabee Book Hipster (11)

Wannabee Book Hipster is a weekly Saturday post by The Zealous Reader. Every Saturday I will feature two novels I loved with under 200 reviews on Goodreads. Hopefully this will give underrated authors more publicity and diversify "to-read" piles.

Beauty

Nancy Butcher

March 22, 2005

Simon Pulse

Goodreads

Summary

Beauty to die for...

Queen Veda of Ran does not believe in growing old gracefully. In fact she will shun anything that makes her look or feel less than the fairest in the land including her daughter, Ana.

Luckily Ana has both beauty and intelligence. She realizes the way to remain close to her beloved mother is to make herself ugly. Ana does everything she can to maintain her new disheveled appearance: She doesn't bathe for days, doesn't wash or brush her hair, and bites her nails down to the quick. Her plan works. She has finally won her mother's love.

Then Ana realizes all the lovely young girls of Ran are being sent to the prestigious Academy for Girls, including Ana's best friend, Pell. When Ana's told she must go too, she resists. She doesn't want to leave her loving mother. But Ana has no choice. She goes and once there learns how potent a drug beauty can be.

Crunch Time

Mariah Fredericks

December 20, 2005

Atheneum

Goodreads

Summary

Leo, Max, Jane, and Daisy don't have much in common. But when they all blow off their SAT prep in favor of forming their own study group, they actually begin to bond — over why there's so much competition over a stupid test. And what it really measures, anyway.

Then it's revealed that someone has cheated on the SATs, and all eyes point to the study group. Everyone knows that Leo can't stand to lose. That Max is convinced he's a loser. That Jane couldn't care less about the whole thing. And that if Daisy doesn't clinch the right score, forget it — she can't afford to go to college.

The pressure is on for the cheater to come forward. Who will fess up?

If you'd like to post your own Wannabee Book Hipster, leave a link in the comments.

Wannabee Book Hipster (10)

Wannabee Book Hipster is a weekly Saturday post by The Zealous Reader. Every Saturday I will feature two novels I loved with under 200 reviews on Goodreads. Hopefully this will give underrated authors more publicity and diversify "to-read" piles.

More Than You Can Chew

Marnelle Tokio

October 28, 2003

TundraBooks

Goodreads

Summary

Marty Black has retreated from a difficult family situation into the area she can best control, her own appetites. She may not be able to control her parents’ behavior, but she can decide what she will and will not eat. Eventually, she stops eating altogether. Marty is close to death when she finally asks for help and finds herself in a psychiatric institution. But recognizing her need for help is only the first tenuous step on a long road to recovery.

Marty’s ability to find a way to live, despite the powerful lure of anorexia, is the core of this fine, insightful novel.
Marnelle Tokio’s semi autobiographical story will resonate with every teenager who faces issues of family, body image, and self-confidence.

The Heights

Brian James

April 27, 2009

Feiwel & Friends

Goodreads

Summary

Henry liked to imagine his life began that cold rainy day in San Francisco when Mr. Earnshaw found him shivering by the side of the road. That was the day Henry met Catherine. For Henry, Catherine is like a precious gift. She pushes away his angry thoughts and makes him feel safe and calm. And though Mr. Earnshaw, a widow, raises the orphan and Catherine as brother and sister, their love for each other goes much deeper. They vow to always be together.

But everything changes when Mr. Earnshaw dies suddenly and Hindley, Mr. Earnshaw's own son, gains control of the family finances. Furiously jealous, Hindley never accepted Henry as a true member of the family. He works to sever Henry's relationship with Catherine and the violent rage Henry has harbored since he was a child bubbles to the surface. . . .

Contemporizing the classic novel, Wuthering Heights, notable YA author, Brian James delives into the dark nature of obsessive love, the social injustices of class, and the self-destructive power of revenge in this emotionally raw unforgettable offering.

If you'd like to post your own Wannabee Book Hipster, leave a link in the comments.

Wannabee Book Hipster (8)

Wannabee Book Hipster is a weekly Saturday post by The Zealous Reader. Every Saturday I will feature two novels I loved with under 200 reviews on Goodreads. Hopefully this will give underrated authors more publicity and diversify "to-read" piles.

My Life: the Musical

Maryrose Wood

March 11, 2008

Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Goodreads

Summary

To best friends and devoted theater fans Emily and Philip, Aurora is no ordinary Broadway musical. Their love for the hit show (whose reclusive author has never been named) is nothing short of an obsession. Thanks to a secret loan from Emily’s grandma Rose, seeing the Saturday matinee has become a weekly ritual that makes real life seem dull and drab by comparison.

But when the theater chat rooms start buzzing with crazy rumors that Aurora might close, Emily and Philip find themselves grappling with some truly show-stopping questions. What, exactly, is the “one sure thing” in show business? How will they pay back the money they owe Grandma Rose? And why hasn’t Philip asked Emily out on a real date? As they go to hilarious lengths to indulge their passion for Aurora, Emily and Philip must face the fact that all shows close sooner or later. But first they’ll put their friendship to the ultimate test, solve Broadway’s biggest mystery–and spend one unforgettable night at the theater.

How I Spent My Last Night on Earth

Todd Strasser

November 1, 1998

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Goodreads

Summary

Allegra Hanover is Time Zone High's over-achieving valedictorian, so motorcycle-driving surfer bum Andros Bliss seems like the last person she would date. But then an asteroid is rumored to be hurtling towards Earth, and the normal high school rules start to fade.

Students and teachers are ditching class, and the lines between high school cliques are breaking down. Is the end of the world enough to make Allegra finally go for her secret crush?

If you'd like to post your own Wannabee Book Hipster, leave a link in the comments.

Wannabee Book Hipster (7)

Wannabee Book Hipster is a weekly Saturday post by The Zealous Reader. Every Saturday I will feature two novels I loved with under 200 reviews on Goodreads. Hopefully this will give underrated authors more publicity and diversify "to-read" piles.

Angeline

Karleen Bradford

July 2004

HarperCollins Canada

Goodreads

Summary

Stunned by the blistering heat, the noise, the sea of faces crowding in upon her in the teeming Egyptian market, Angeline cannot believe that she is being sold as a slave to one of the great princes in Cairo. Only a short time ago she left her small village in France to follow Stephen, a shepherd boy whose vision led him to mount a children's Crusade to the Holy Land. But they were decieved by those who offered to help. Now it seems they are doomed to a life of slavery in a foreign land and even Stephen has lost all hope.

Somehow, Angeline mist find the strength to survive, as well as to help Stephen overcome his despair. But first she must learn to understand and respect the ways of a culture so very different from her own.

The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay

Rebecca Sparrow

April 8, 2008

Knopf Books for Young Readers

Goodreads

Summary

Seventeen-year-old Rachel Hill is the girl most likely to succeed. And the girl most likely to have everything under control . . . that is, until her dad invites Nick McGowan, the cutest boy at school, to live with them. Rachel worries that this could only be a recipe for disaster, but her best friend Zoe thinks it’s the perfect opportunity for lurve. Sparks start to fly for all the wrong reasons. Nick finds Rachel spoiled and uptight and Rachel dismisses Nick as lazy and directionless. But a secret from Nick’s past draws them together and makes the year Nick McGowan came to stay one that Rachel will never forget.

If you'd like to post your own Wannabee Book Hipster, leave a link in the comments.

Wannabee Book Hipster (6)

Wannabee Book Hipster is a weekly Saturday post by The Zealous Reader. Every Saturday I will feature two novels I loved with under 200 reviews on Goodreads. Hopefully this will give underrated authors more publicity and diversify "to-read" piles.

Princess Pawn

Maggie L. Wood

April 30, 2004

Sumach Press

Goodreads

Summary

Willow Kingswell thinks of herself as an ordinary fourteen-year-old. Although she has been hearing her grandmother's stories about the enchanted realm of Mistolear for as long as she can remember, being a princess is the furthest thing from her mind. What's worrying Willow these days is finding a way to get accepted by the in-crowd at her high school without betraying her friend Abby.


What's also worrying her is Nana, who is her only family, and who seems increasingly frail and confused. Suddenly, Willow finds herself magically transported to the real Mistolear, where it turns out she actually does have a large family — and a royal one at that! Willow's courage and intellect are put to the test as she attempts to save the kingdom from a terrifying spell.

Crush du Jour

Micol Ostow

October 9, 2007

Simon Pulse

Goodreads

Summary

When a girl bites off more than she can chew... 

Laine barely has enough time for herself, much less for romance. But she's always hungry for more projects — so she signs up to teach a cooking class at her local community center. As it turns out, the guy co-teaching the class with her, Seth, is not just cute, but downright delicious! When Seth offers her a waitressing job at his family's restaurant, Hype, Laine can't resist.

Just as Seth finally warms up to Laine, she finds out that Callie, another waitress at Hype, is cooking up a plan to steal Seth for herself. But tensions really reach their boiling point when Laine's restaurant critic mother writes a scathing review of Hype! Will Laine have to put love on the back burner again?

If you'd like to post your own Wannabee Book Hipster, leave a link in the comments.

Wannabee Book Hipster (5)

Wannabee Book Hipster is a weekly Saturday post by The Zealous Reader. Every Saturday I will feature two novels I loved with under 200 reviews on Goodreads. Hopefully this will give underrated authors more publicity and diversify "to-read" piles.

Waves

Sharon Dogar

March 6, 2007

The Chicken House

Goodreads

Summary

“Where is she? And what was she doing out on the waves that night?”

For Hal, now, this summer is different. Sure he’s spending it, as always, with his family at their cottage on the wild west coast of England. But this summer he meets Jackie, beautiful, impetuous Jackie. Lying with her on the beach while she sculpts mermaids from wet sand–it’s paradise. Or would be, if only he didn’t keep hearing the desperate pleas of his lost sister Charley in his head . . 

For Charley, then, last summer was different. Pete, the impossibly gorgeous surf god, wanted her, she couldn’t believe it! To lick the sand off his lips, to let the sun tan the outline of her hand over his heart–she’d do anything to be with him. Even if it meant sneaking out and leaving her tagalong brother Hal behind. Just for one night. How could she have known what would happen by dawn?

Set at a beach where growing up goes wrong, Waves is a coming-of-age mystery about first love and tragic loss. About a family drowning in sorrow, and the courageous son struggling against the tide to save them.

Am I Right or Am I Right?

Barry Jonsberg

February 13, 2007

Knopf Books for Young Readers

Goodreads

Summary

Calma Harrison is in love. Not just with herself, but also with the handsome checkout guy at Crazi-Cheep. So stocking shelves at the Crazi- Cheep seems like the perfect job—until that annoying customer tries to hold up the store. . . .

And then there's the small matter of the rest of Calma's life, which is fast falling apart: her absent father turns up after five years and wants to "talk," her mother is clearly living a secret second life, and her new best friend is hiding something horrible.

Calma is sure she knows exactly what's going on. And clearly her direct, personal intervention is required to make things right. 

Except . . . if she's wrong. And then her butting in will make everything much, much worse.

Am I Right or Am I Right? is a whip-smart, wise-cracking, big-hearted novel about a girl who is learning that things are not always what they seem, and how to start again when you've gotten it all so very wrong.

If you'd like to post your own Wannabee Book Hipster, leave a link in the comments.