The Fault in Our Stars

Green, John. The Fault in Our Stars. New York, New York: Dutton Childrens, 2012. Print.

Intended Audience: Ages 12 and older

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Personal Reaction: The Fault in Our Stars is the story of Hazel Grace and Augustus.  They both have terminal cancer and meet in cancer support group in a local church.  In time they fall in love and become best friends.  The story follows their courtship and their trek to visit Van Houten, Hazel's favorite author.  

This is one of those bitter sweet books where you love to see the romance blossom between Hazel and Augustus.  However, in the end Augustus dies a slow and painful death and readers have the loss of a favorite character to wrestle with.  John Green wrote another amazing novel, filled with hope and heartache, friendship and grief.  

Author Facts: John Green was born in 1977.  He graduated from high school in Alabama and got a BA from Kenyon college.  He recommends trusting critics and telling friends stories when they get bored in order to become a better author. 

Author Website: http://johngreenbooks.com/

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Hosseini, Khaled. A Thousand Splendid Suns. New York: Riverhead, 2007. 

Intended Audience: Ages 15 and older

Genre: Historical Fiction

Personal Reaction: I was recommended this novel by a teenager at the library I work at.  To start, I was hesitant, A Thousand Splendid Suns does not fit in the books I would normally read.  Thankfully, I have much respect for my patrons' recommendations and devoured this book.  

A Thousand Splendid Suns follows the lives of Mariam and Laila to women growing up in Afghanistan.  The story tells of their childhoods, the war taking place, the Taliban and the Soviets taking over their homes and the lives they led, marrying the same man and sharing children.  This is a novel filled with hope but only after times of brokenness.  I have heard and read how closely this book follows the lives of many women who have lived in Afghanistan and surrounding countries, making it even more memorable. 


Author facts: Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1965 but moved to the USA in 1980.  In 1993 Hosseini received a degree in medicine years later began to write Kite Runner.  After a visit to Afghanistan he began The Khaled Hosseini Foundation, providing humanitarian assistance to those in Afghanistan. 

Author Website: http://khaledhosseini.com/

Boy 21

Quick, Matthew. Boy 21. New York: Little, Brown, 2012.

Audience: Ages 12 and older

Genre: Sports fiction

Personal Reaction: Boy 21 is the story of Finley, Boy 21 (also known as Russ), Erin, and basketball.  At the beginning of the story we know Finley is pretending some part of his life never happened.  His basketball coach asks him to befriend Russ, a new kid in town, who thinks he is an alien and will only go by the name Boy 21.  The three become friends and the basketball season begins. 

This novel flew by.  I read it in one sitting and found it hard to believe how much I truly enjoyed it. In this story Finley helps Russ play basketball again and Erin gets hit by a car, breaking her leg.  When Finley has to choose between Erin and basketball he realizes how much more important the people in his life are in comparison to the sport he once lived for.  This was a book I will recommend to many readers, not only those who love sports.  

Author Facts: Matthew quick was born in PA but later moved to Oaklyn, NJ.  He taught for many years, retiring in 2004 to become a full time writer.  He now lives with his wife Alicia Bessette who is a novelist and pianist in North Carolina.  

Author Website: http://matthewquickwriter.com/