The Last True Love Story by Brendan Kiely

Hendrix's grandfather is slowly disappearing into an Alzheimer haze and is living in a nursing home. All his grandfather wants is to go back to New York to see it one more time. That's when Hendrix gets an idea to drive his grandfather away from California back to New York fulfilling his grandfather's dying wish. The only problem was that he didn't know how to drive and he didn't exactly have his own car. That's when Corrina comes in. Corrina is one of Hendrix's friends and she is going through a rough time. All she wants is to get away so Hedrix proposes that she drives him and his grandfather to New York. They take Hendrix's mom's car, pick up his grandfather and then start driving to New York. It's a long drive but Hendrix is determined to make it there.

This book is filled with moments of happiness, some of sadness, and many filled with adventure and laughs. I love the 'relationship' between Corrina and Hendrix have during the story and I also really enjoyed how different parts of the story unfolded. I am shocked by a number of reviewers who didn't like this book. Some say it's "too John Green" or "too similar to every other YA book". In my opinion: so what if it shares similar plot lines to other books? It was still a great book and to be honest I didn't notice similarities to many other books.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes mild adventures. This isn't an action book, no one's being chased or shot at, but it's still a fun adventure to read. This book is exciting, funny, and heartwarming. It even has a little romance, but not too much to get sappy. I truly think this is a great book, and a wonderful read.

Books like this:
The Odds of Lightning by Jocelyn Davies
My Unscripted Life by Lauren Morrill

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Teach Me To Forget by Erica M. Chapman

Ellerly is passed being depressed, she's ready for it all to be over. The date is planned down to the minute. In her closet sits the gun accompanied by the one bullet she will need. She has savings set aside for her mother to help with afterward, including hiring a cleaning crew to come the next morning. What she didn't plan for was the gun not working. 

This isn't just some suicide story. Yes, Ellerly wants to die, and even tries it more then once. But when she's returning the broken gun, a guy from school recognizes her and her distress, tries to stop her from getting a new gun. She doesn't know him but he refuses to leave him alone I thought that this books was well written and the parts of the story I do find relatable (and I promise, it's not the suicidal parts

I honestly don't know who to recommend this book to. It's a hard book to recommend. It covers a tough topic. If you are interested in books that cover sad, tough topics like suicide and depression then you might be interested in this book. 

Books this one reminded me of:
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
To Catch A Killer Sheryl Scarborough

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Yes, I finally started reading Harry Potter series. I know this is book two but I didn't like book one, I couldn't finish it. It was too much like the movie which I've seen so many times. Although I didn't read it I was impressed with it's similarity in the part I did read.

I honestly feel like I don't need to explain what this book is about. There is so much hype around this wizarding world that if you haven't heard of Harry Potter then you've mastered a skill I wish I could have. In this book, Harry and his friends find out about a secret chamber created by one of the founders of Hogwarts that supposedly contains a beast so vicious it was impossible to defeat. This chamber can only be open by an heir of Slytherin, and no one knows who that is. Harry is worried that something bad is going to happen and knows he needs to try to stop it. 

Clearly there are many many reviews of this book, most of them being positive. I want to talk about the negative ones I've found. Most of them are just magic haters, don't really get into the magic 'thing', or it wasn't adult enough for them. All valid reasons. Others trash J.K. Rowling's writing and the way she goes about writing the book. I disagree but okay. Then there are the people who start to get too personal. They hate the characters, one specifically stated that she felt Harry shouldn't even be in the book at all and that he is so dull and predictable that it made the whole series "fall flat" in her mind. Wait what? 

I personally loved this book, but I can see how it may not be for everyone. So far I am in love with the characters and I can't wait to keep reading these books! If you're into magic, and fantasy you'll love these books. I especially recommend these books to middle schoolers. Being in high school and reading many different reading levels I can see that this book/parts I've read so far is definitely catered to younger kids in the difficulty levels. That being said, I know many adults who have loved it and have claimed that it made them feel like a kid again. So who really knows. 

The last thing I want to say is: don't let the coverage and media around this series decide whether you read them or not.

Books like this:
I'm not going to do this. I have honestly never read or heard of anything like this.

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The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

Ezra Faulkner believes that everyone will have some tragedy in their life that marks the start of your life. Ezra's tragedy was getting into a car accident after finding out his girlfriend cheated on him. Ezra was a star at his high school. Top tennis player, and popular. His accident ended his tennis career and completely changed the corse of his life. He makes new friends, joins the debate team and even gets a new girlfriend. But everything still doesn't play out the way he thinks it would.

This book was surprising, you don't really know what to expect with this book. There's absolutely no predicting with it, no guessing. Which makes it really hard to say much about it, so I've turned to others. In a few reviews they mention how this book is funny but not easy to laugh at. I agree, there were many parts that made me laugh out loud and it's not like the book ended unhappily. But it was just a very weird story line and I still don't know what to think of it.

I don't know who to recommend this book to. It's kind of a mix between Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and We Were Liars because Ezra has a very similar voice to Greg from Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, he has similar feelings, opinions, and acts very similar in some ways. But this book also has a sort of tragedy aspect to it like We Were Liars and that's why I'd compare the two. Honestly, I don't really know but look, I've filled 3 paragraphs.

Books like this:
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney
My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi

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Me & Earl & the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Greg has managed to make it to his senior year in high school completely invisible. He has one friend and that's Earl. Earl and Greg make movies together that nobody is ever allowed to see. Everything is fine until one day Greg finds out that his childhood friend, Rachel, is dying of cancer. Greg's mother forces him to hang out with her and cheer her up. Eventually Rachel decides to stop treatment and let things run it's corse. This is when Earl and Greg decide to make her a movie. This movie brings Greg out of his veil of invisibility and into the spotlight, and the movie isn't even good.

This book is told by Greg and he constantly talks about how he hates writing it. Greg's voice is relaxed and nonchalant. He goes back and forth from him telling the story to the story being told in script form. Many people, myself included thought that this book was absolutely hilarious. Which is true! Greg is a typical teenage boy out of touch with his emotions and at times obliviously in denial, but that's what makes this book so good! 

I recommend this book to people who liked The Fault in Our Stars but could have done without the romance. What Earl and Greg do for Rachel is sweet but there's nothing romantic about it. Every time you expect something romantic to happen it doesn't. The story is great and funny, but don't expect it to be romantic at all. It's a perfect read for non-romance lovers and I'd say from ages 13 and up.


Books like this:
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green- but with less romance
The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider- the main characters have a similar voice and view

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There's also a movie but I haven't seen it so I can't compare the two...

The D.U.F.F. by Kody Keplinger

Bianca Piper is the Designated Ugly Fat Friend. All this means is that in her friend group she is technically uglier than her other two friends. When she is told this by Wesley Rush, a guy she absolutely hates, she actually throws a drink in his face. Bianca's home life isn't doing too good, her mom keeps leaving, and her dad keeps thinking she'll come back. So Bianca is in desperate need of a distraction. That's when she ends up kissing Wesley, who ends up being her perfect distraction. Bianca still hates Wesley but she continues to use him until she realizes that he may be more than just a distraction. 

I started reading this book because I watched the movie and thought it was really good. I loved the book just as much but I do have to warn you: they are nothing alike! There is almost no resemblance between the book and the movie, and I can't figure out any explanation of why they did it that way. There are a lot of mixed reviews on this book and I don't even know how to explain them. Some say Bianca's voice as a character is very strong and really brings you into the story but some think that that's not true. They're all conflicting and I'll just say this. This was a good book but don't compare it to the movie or expect them to be alike. 

I recommend this book to people that like high school stories. Bianca is an awkward, cynical girl who doesn't really fit in. Her voice is what separates all of the other books like this. If you like that sort of story then you'll like this one too.

Books like this:
Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett

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What Light by Jay Asher

The main character of this book is spunky, nice, but also slightly reserved. She, like most teenage girls, looks to her friends for advice even if she doesn't always listen to them. Sierra sells Christmas Trees from her family's tree farm in California every year for the month of December. Her whole family packs up and leaves Oregon to sell Christmas trees. She has a life back in Oregon but also has one in California. While in California Sierra meets a boy named Caleb but everyone tells her that he's bad news. Okay, I know what you're thinking, this is the same premise for so many books these days how is this not boring? Just trust me okay? This book is not your average, good girl meets bad boy and falls in love, there is so much more I promise. I laughed and cried over this book. It was beautifully written and the characters a totally lovable. Although other reviewers say it puts you in the Christmas spirit or that it's a Christmas book, I disagree. Yes, it does take place in December and it revolves around Christmas trees but to me, there's so much other stuff put into this small book that makes it so much more. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good vanilla romance. Sierra and Caleb's romance is very middle school, nothing super intense but still makes your heart swell. It's a fast, easy read that swept me off my feet. 

Other books like this (according to Goodreads):

The Twelve Days of Dash and Lilly by Rachel Cohn

Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland 

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Time Stoppers by Carrie Jones

Annie thought that she was just a normal girl with no parents stuck moving from foster family to foster family. Until one day she is put in an exceptionally awful home where she is told not to make noise and just stay out of the way. Jamie is about the same age as Annie and lives with his Grandmother and Father who are both terrible to him. One day Annie gets chased by a giant creature that seems to want to eat her, she is saved by one of the dogs at her new foster home. She is taken somewhere named Avalon, a home for magical creatures. I loved this book for so many reasons. It takes place where I'm from so it's relatable, and easier to imagine. Even though it's an easier level book the story is interesting enough to keep even adults interested. I recommend this book to middle schoolers who like adventure and magical creatures, and if you're older and want a good, quick, and easy read then you will probably like this book too. 

Other books like this!
Lost Children of the Far Islands by Emily Raabe
This is Not a Werewolf Story by Saundra Evans
A Sliver of Stardust by Marissa Burt

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Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu

Lucy’s mom is a hoarder, like a get on the show "Hoarders" kind of hoarder. Lucy doesn’t tell anyone about her mom and hasn’t her whole life. None of her friends have ever been to her house and the only people who know is her and her siblings. This secret has been kept for a long time until Lucy is faced with a problem where she might have to tell everyone. But still she fights and works to keep it hidden. This book was emotional, controversial and in some way gross. It is wonderfully descriptive and mainly takes place in Lucy's head. If you don't know what living with a hoarder is like this book is so descriptive you practically live it yourself. It takes place in only 24 hours and the pace is perfect. I recommend this book to people who like deep topics, ones that you have to be brave to really delve into. This book is not for the faint of heart or sensitive people. It's dramatic, descriptive, and so deep.

Books like this!
We Were Liars by E.L. Lockhart
Cut by Patricia McCormik
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

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Revived by Cat Patrick

Daisy is apart of a secret government mission that involves her being brought back to life after a bus crash she was in when she was young. Whenever she dies throughout her life they use a serum called revived to bring her back, each time they have to move again and change last names. Everything flows fairly smoothly in her life until she moves after an allergic reaction to bees. In her new town she meets Matt and Audrey McKean who change her life and cause her to start questioning everything. This book is definitely on my top 5 right now. It was very well written and different from the normal flow of YA books lately. Most people either LOVE this book or hate it. I recommend this book to the slight adventure with a little romance seekers.

Books like this!
The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee
Divergent by Veronica Roth

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Fracture by Megan Miranda

Delaney Maxwell died. There’s no other way to describe it. Her heart stopped and her body shut down bust somehow after about 30 minutes of CPR she came back. Ever since she came back she gets strange pulls and sensations that she can’t control or explain, and she doesn’t know if it something she should be scared of or something to embrace. I'm not going to lie, this isn't one of my favorite books. It's good but it was also very confusing, I never really could tell where the author was trying to go. I just found out that there is a sequel and that does make a lot more sense. Even though I didn't particularly like this book I am curious to read the sequel. I honestly don't know who to recommend this book to, and it's not because it sucked it's just because it's really hard for me to even explain what it's about. So I'm just going to leave you with some books I think that are similar to it.

Books like this!
Every Day by David Levithan
Just One Day by Gayle Foreman

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If I Should Die by Amy Plum

After the shocking ending of the last book how can you not read this one??? Vincent is gone, SAY WHAT??? This book starts off with Kate and Vincent’s kindred are trying to figure out how to save Vincent before Violet destroys him for good. Even though Vincent is gone, Kate won't give up the sliver of hope there is to save him. Violet is about to start a full out war with the revenants and there’s no way to avoid it. The ending of this book is absolutely amazing! It honestly couldn't have ended any better. Like all fans of this series I do want another book but you always feel that with a really good series. As much as I want this story to continue I just feel like it would be stretching it too far. Ever story has an end eventually.

Books like this!
Fallen by Lauren Kate
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

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Forgotten by Cat Patrick

London Lane forgets her past but remembers her future. Every morning when London wakes up she doesn’t know anything about the day before, no one knows why. She gets through it by reading the notes she leaves herself each night. This system works until she meets someone who knows her from the past and knows her secret. This book is mysterious and I love this author's writing. There's secrets, puzzles, and even romance! Not for the action lovers but definitely for the people that sort of like romance but not full Nicolas Sparks style.

Books like this!

Every Day by David Levithan

Where Ever You Go by Heather Davis

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Minders by Michele Jaffe

Sadie enters a program where her mind/conciseness is put into someone else’s brain to study the differences between a criminal mind and a non-criminal mind. She is supposed to study, and report back, and most of all she is not allowed to let the "host" she's in know she's there. Sadie has a hard time feeling unattached to the mind she’s in and her task becomes even harder when she starts to fall in love with him. This book is breathtaking and shocking. It is definitely a book I would suggest to sci-fi, futuristic and action lovers. The relationship you build with Sadie and her host throughout this book is unforgettable. The author went so in depth with detail and clearly thought it out well. Her goal and set up was well executed with feelings and actions drawn out on the page. Everyone, seriously, add this to your MUST read list!

Books like this!
The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
Forgotten by Cat Patrick
Divergent by Veronica Roth

Seriously check it out!!!!

You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn

Miles grew up admiring her cousin Laura, always feeling like she is living in her shadow but she honestly doesn't mind. They were as close as sisters, but when Laura commits suicide Miles is alone and goes into a downward spiral filled with cigarettes and alcohol. Her friend tries to help her but she just keeps shutting everyone out. But when she realizes she has more support and isn’t as alone as she thought, she is able to rebuild her life in unexpected ways. This book is filled with characters that you'll just fall in love with!

Books like this!
Cut by Patricia McCormick
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

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We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

This story begins with a beautiful, rich family, with their own island. Cadence loves going to her family’s island in the summer. Her and her 3 other cousins call themselves the liars and the island is the only place they get to hang out together. She goes to the island every year but then some accident happened that she doesn’t remember and she’s not allowed to go back. This books is captivating and mysterious. It's very powerful and well crafted. My favorite thing about it is the back, it says that if someone asks you how it ends lie, and that's exactly what you should do!

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Dark Souls by Paula Morris

After someone close to Miranda dies in a car accident, she realizes she can see ghosts. Both Miranda and her brother have taken the car accident badly so Miranda's parents decide to take a trip to York, England and when she gets there she realizes that it’s filled with ghosts. Miranda didn't have much plans of doing anything while in York but then she meets someone mysterious that seems to know about the ghosts too. She is naturally curious about being able to see the ghosts so she tries to learn more but it leads her down a dangerous path. I recommend this to people who like ghosty and mysterious stories. It definitely doesn't scare your pants off but I was a little spooked reading it in a dimly lit room with no one else in the house.

Books like this!
(I haven't read many books like this but Goodreads recommends)
Frost by Mirianna Baer
Through Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer
After Obsession by Carrie Jones

Check it out!

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Clary has to go to the Glass City to save her mother but it becomes a lot more complicated when she finds out that Jace doesn’t want her to go to the city. He doesn't even want her near it. It is also illegal to enter the city without permission which she doesn't have. When she illegally enters the city she finds an ally named Sebastian who starts to help her learn more about her family and how to stop Valentine. Clary fights to save her mother and the rest of the world to find Valentine and it is definitely not easy. This series does feel like it keeps going, and going, repeating what feels kind of like the same story over again. I love the story and series as well as Cassandra Clare but I can see how some people would think it goes a little far.

Books like this!
Demon Glass by Rachel Hawkins
Die For Me by Amy Plum
Divergent by Veronica Roth

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Endure by Carrie Jones

The battle of the pixies continues and is getting worse. Although Zara did rescue Nick nothing has changed. Nick is mad at Zara and she doesn't think she will ever earn back his trust. She has a lot of responsibilities now that she's not only a pixie but a pixie queen! Nick's recent feelings toward Zara has pushed her away and closer to Astly, she might even start having feelings for him. This book is definitely for Zara and Astly fans, they become closer and closer throughout this whole book. Most of the crappy reviews about it are just from haters of the series as a whole. I love this series and love this book! If you loved the rest of the series you'll totally love this book too.

Books like this!
Siren Song by Jenna Black
Arise by Tara Hudson

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Cut by Patricia McCormick

Callie cuts herself, never too deep just enough to feel the pain. She gets put into Saint Pines, a treatment facility, when her parents decide they don't know how to help her. Callie has nothing to do with anyone at the facility, she just keeps to herself. But throughout the story she slowly opens up and even starts to make friends. Callie wants to get better and go home but she doesn't think she can stop cutting. I'll admit this book was a little different and strange. Having dealt with this sort of stuff it was a little rough at some points for me to read. This book is very controversial, as is this topic in society today, so there are a lot of mixed reviews on this book. I think that you should read this book if you're curious about cutting, depression or these kind of treatment facilities. I will warn you if you have a history of cutting this could be a very triggering book for you, as it was for me.

Books like this!
I'll admit, I've never read a book like this but Goodreads suggests:
Cutters Don't Cry by Christine Dzidrums
The Luckiest Girl In the World by Steven Levenkron
Scars by Sheryl Rainfield

Check it out!