"We Are the Goldens" by Dana Reinhardt

I wanted to like this book, I really did, but sadly I did not. Nell and her sister Layla used to be extremely close, but as time goes by they seem to get farther and farther apart. Eventually Nell finds out that Layla has a secret that could ruin her reputation. Nell discovers that Layla has a secret relationship with one of her teachers and Nell is torn on what she should do.

I thought that the premise for this book was very promising. Stories of students getting romantically involved with their teachers are in the news often enough that the idea of a story told from a bystanders perspective seems like it could be a really intriguing novel. That said, Dana Reinhardt's We Are the Goldens just didn't work for me. I think it was a combination of her writing style and that the plot drug and was often times very dry. There was never a time when I really cared about the characters and just as I was beginning to gain hope that the plot was about to (finally) pick up, the novel ended. Honestly, the only real positive with this book is that it gave me an idea for a novel I may potentially write someday.

Usually when I read a book that I didn't like very much, I try to seek out other books by that author so that I can try to give them a fair chance. Several of Reinhardt's books sound interesting, particularly Harmless, so I plan on giving her writing another shot and hope that this book was just fluke and I will like other books she has written. 

Happy Reading!
-Melly

"Chasing Brooklyn" by Lisa Schroeder

Both Brooklyn and Nico are trying to recover from the death of Lucca. Lucca was Brooklyn's boyfriend and Nico's brother. Almost a year to the day after Lucca's death, his best friend Gabe dies too. Brooklyn and Nico are both being haunted, Brooklyn by Gabe and Nico by Lucca. The two begin a friendship that will help them battle their demons and reclaim their place among the living.

I liked this book just fine, but felt like it didn't need to be written in verse. The poems weren't very memorable in terms of their structure and it almost seemed like a device to have shorter "chapters." Each poem alternates between the point of view of the two characters, so each character only gets a few pages at a time. Despite this, I did enjoy the plot of this novel. It is a very touching and poignant novel and Lisa Schroeder does an excellent job at capturing the lives of those affected by a great loss. I also liked that the ghost element of the story doesn't completely overwhelm the plot so it's still a story about two teenagers dealing with the changes in their lives and not two teenagers dealing with their haunted bedrooms. I have now read several books by Schroeder and have found that I prefer her books for younger readers, but either way, Chasing Brooklyn is still worth a read.

Happy Reading!
-Melly