The S-Word
By: Chelsea Pitcher
My Rating: 4 out of 5 Pawprints

I feel like every teenage girl, and some teenage boys, should read this novel. I feel like it very accurately describes what tends to go on in high school settings without people even really realizing what is happening. You're introduced to the two main girls, best friends, named Lizzie and Angie. Lizzie is a preacher's daughter while Angie has a boyfriend, Drake, and they have been together for awhile now. It's your typical high school setting where the best friend sleeps with her boyfriend on Prom night and so goes it. But with this story something different happens. As you can expect Lizzie is branded a slut for sleeping with Drake and the entire school decides to shun her and write SLUT all over her locker, notebooks and pretty much any surface available. But then something happens... Lizzie kills herself and instead of the school feeling some remorse for basically pressuring her into hating herself even more, they change her name from SLUT to SUICIDE SLUT. How sweet of them, right? Wrong. I think the reason I feel so passionately about this novel is because I've been down the road where people in high school do everything in their power to make you feel like you amount to nothing at ALL. And you know what, that's exactly how the entire school, including her BEST FRIEND made her feel. It sickens me.

I've read multiple reviews on this book from other people and I feel like they just didn't grasp the message like I did from it. I feel like the point was there are always, ALWAYS two sides to every story and it's just a test of your true character as to which side you choose to believe or what you choose to do about the situation. In this book there's another side to what happened the night Lizzie became branded the school slut... and Angie just waits a little too long to find out what really happened that night.

This book is full of twists and turns, lies and deceit, and how sometimes people just wait too late to find out the truth. I loved it, honestly, and I would recommend it to anyone that's been in a similar situation where they feel like no one will hear them out because they just want to follow the crowd, believe what everyone tells them to believe, but in the end.. the one person that is telling/knows the truth, just doesn't know how to say it.

Great novel!

Speechless

Speechless
By: Hannah Harrington
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Pawprints

I am absolutely touched by this book. When I first started reading it I wanted to throw it across the room because Chelsea, the main character, seemed extremely stuck up and I couldn't stand reading her thoughts and actions. But once the main plot set out on it's course and you started getting more into the novel, I fell in love. I was truly captivated by this novel and I can honestly say that it's now one of my favorite books by far. The message that this novel gives you at the end of it, really is a lesson so many people nowadays, especially teenagers, should realize. Words hurt. They truly do. And when you judge someone so much and hurt them, you may not just be hurting them emotionally. That can lead to physical. Sure people say it's easy to just let people talk, move on, and let things go but it's not always that easy. Words hurt. They're powerful and can easily make someone be depressed. Think before you talk. That's all I have to say. Truly amazing novel & beautifully written.

Butter

Butter
By: Erin Jade Lange
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Pawprints

Wow... Just wow. When I first picked this book up at work I shook my head and put it back down. But then I read some reviews about it and went back to pick it up again. I mean, first glance it's about a fat kid.. Who decides to set up a website to kill himself from eating basically. Sounds ridiculous and selfish and stupid, am I right? But there's so much more. I've been bullied before. Told to kill myself and told that my life mattered to no one. And I've considered it before, just like Butter has. I guess that's why I loved this book so much and could relate to it. Bullies are everywhere. No matter what type of school you go to there is always going to be someone there to make you feel less than what you are. For Butter, it's just about his entire school because he's known as the "fat kid who ate a whole stick of butter" (supposedly) and he just wants to end his life now. But when he starts to realize that this whole scheme is making him popular, his outlook on the whole thing changes. I just want to say how powerful this book is. I truly loved it.

The Bird Sisters

The Bird Sisters
By: Rebecca Rasmussen
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Pawprints

I loved this book and for so many reasons. I love the bond between the two sisters, Twiss & Milly. (I also love the choice for the names, extremely unique and it fits them both well, because they both are unique!) This novel wasn't just about the bond the two sisters share, I feel like the main lesson to be learned here was about family & how they have their problems but are sometimes to stubborn to really do anything about them. The book goes back and forth between the past and the present of the sisters' lives, and you are opened up to their different, unique personalities. Milly was the more liked one while Twiss was the wild child with an attitude that usually got her in trouble. When Milly has the chance to be with the man she loves, her actions will surprise you but at the same time, will make you fall in love with her even more than you already have. Sometimes husband and wife have problems (well, a little more than sometimes) and they do stupid things, they make mistakes. I feel like this novel was the perfect example of that, and trust me, this book was FAR, FAR from predictable and I loved every minute of it. You will be shocked from chapter to chapter, but that's the beauty of this novel! Great job Rebecca, you are an excellent author!

A Time to Embrace

A Time to Embrace
By: Karen Kingsbury

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Pawprints

         This book kept me on edge the entire time. I think I cried more and gasped more during this book than I have for any other novel. Abby & John had some problems, like most married couples do, but God helped them sort them out. They still are working out some problems, but you can tell that they love each other and God is going to help them through this. Their daughter Nicole has just gotten married & that's another key to fixing their marriage puzzle. The love these two people share is amazingly beautiful and the author, Karen, did an amazing job expressing their love through words. John is the high school's football coach and health teacher, and lately, the parents of the football team have not been very kind to him. They are petitioning to get him fired just because their sons are not as talented as the quarterback. But that's not the only thing causing problems, the main problem for John is that his star player, Jake, has some anger problems. But the day his dad buys him a brand spanking new hot rod, his mood changes and he starts being nicer to the people he's hurt most. A tragedy occurs and Abby is left wondering what went wrong, what she could have done and Jake is at a loss for words, wondering why in the world he did what he did. This book was amazingly written and I love the author's way with words. I could feel the love between Abby and John the entire time I was reading it. One of the best Christian romance novels I have EVER read! (And I'm not a fan of these whatsoever, so I'm surprised I enjoyed this one as much as I did.)