Three Black Swans

Title: Three Black Swans

Author: Caroline B. Cooney

Year: 2010

Genre: Suspense, realistic fiction

Age: 6th grade up

Summary: When sixteen-year-old Missy Vianello decides to try to convince her classmates that her cousin Claire is really her long-lost identical twin, she has no idea that the results of her prank will be so life-changing. (Summary from Follett Titlewave)

Review: Ever have a friend who felt like a sister? Cooney expertly plays on this feeling in Three Black Swans. The cousin/sister/twins each have a distinct personality and background, making it easy to relate to one or all of them, but the real star here is the story. It's tightly woven and in the end offers up a great twist. The only part of this book that really grated on me was the quote the title comes from. It's from the Wallstreet Journal and each set of parents reads it out loud to their daughter and have an awkward discussion about it. I'm sure Cooney meant it to tie the novel together, but instead it took me out of my reading experience. Each time it came up I rolled my eyes, but kept going for the plot.

I recommend this book to those who liked The Face on the Milk Carton and anyone girl who has a friend that feels like a sister.

Sold by Patrica McCormick

Title: Sold
Author: Patricia McCormick
Year: 2006
Genre: Realistic fiction
Age: 8th grade up

Summary: Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in a small hut in the mountains of Nepal. Her family is desperately poor, but her life is full of simple pleasures like raising her pet goat and doing her schoolwork by lamplight. But when the harsh Himalayan monsoons wash away all that remains of the family's crops, Lakshmi's stepfather says she must leave home and take a job to support her family.

He introduces her to a glamorous stranger who tells her she will find her a job as a maid working for a wealthy family in the city. Glad to be able to help, Lakshmi undertakes the long journey to India and arrives at "Happiness House" full of hope. But she soon learns the unthinkable truth: she has been sold into prostitution. (From Patricia McCormick's Official Website)

Review: This is another 'I didn't mean to read it all in one day' book. McCormick's use first person narration really connected me to Lakshmi, who tells her story in beautiful little snippets, none more than three pages. She's poor and hungry in body but happy in soul Nepal and poor and destroyed in body and soul in India. I cried for Lakshmi because she didn't know what was happening to her and was so hopeful about her future. McCormick doesn't fall into sensationalism here, only alluding to the horrors visited upon Lakshmi, never describing them in detail.

A beautifully told story about the horribly true practice of human trafficking, I would recommend this book to almost all of my 8th graders (who are the same age as Lakshmi) and all of my fellow teachers.

Thirteen Reasons Why

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
Year: 2007
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age: 8th grade up

Summary: Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker--his classmate and crush--who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list. Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers. (From official website)

Review: I didn't mean to read this book in one night; I sat down to read for a bit before bed. Well past my bed time I was still reading and stayed up to finish the last page. Asher presents a very difficult subject in a way that is deeply moving. He doesn't shy away from suicide and how it makes those left behind feel. They're angry, confused, lost. They just want to know why. Hannah Baker explains it to them. This book is fantastic if you want to shed some tears. I would recommend this book to almost all of my 8th grade girls and anyone who wants to read about real life drama.