Pack Your 4th of July Getaway!

Pack your 4th of July getaway bag with these fantastic YA books that came out in June! 

1. The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes: the gut-wrenching but ultimately hope-inspiring story about a 17-year-old who lost 12 years of her life – as well as her hands, to a cult.

2. The Glass Sentence by S. E. Grove: the type of fantasy that changes your life at any age about Sophia’s adventures in the New World, in which all the continents have been flung into different time periods.

3. Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen: a heartrending novel in verse about Mira, who redefines what family means after she discovers her father with his male lover.

4. Wings by Elizabeth Richards: The pulse-pounding conclusion to the Black City trilogy.

5. A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller: A romantic historical drama about how much Victoria Darling will sacrifice for her dream of becoming an artist when society has different ideas for her.

6. Like it Never Happened by Emily Adrian: Rebecca Rivers’ experience landing the lead in her school’s production of The Crucible challenges stereotypes, sexuality, and destructive rumors.

7. Children of the Earth by Anna Schumacher: The sequel to the adrenaline-packed and steamy End Times, set in Carbon City, Wyoming, where the townspeople believe the End Times have arrived.

8. The Merciless by Danielle Vega: Mean Girls meets The Exorcist in this horror story packed with attitude that proves the last people you want to be locked in a basement with are teen girls.

9. Deadly Design by Debra Dockter: A page-turning thriller about genetically engineered Kyle, who finds his life in danger when his twin brother drops dead at 18.

10. Conversion by Katherine Howe: A chilling read about the girls at St. Joan’s, who seem to be suffering the same epidemic that a group of girls had when their town was Salem Village long ago.

11. A Book of Spirits and Thieves by Morgan Rhodes: Fantasy and contemporary readers alike will love this blend of two worlds: one in modern-day Toronto and one in Morgan Rhode’s bestselling Gathering Darkness series!

12. Nearly Found by Elle Cosimano: The suspenseful sequel to Nearly Gone, an urban mystery interlaced with secrets, crime labs and serial killers.

13. The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson: Laurie Halse Anderson’s award-winning look at family, secrets, and PTSD through the lives of nomadic Hayley Kincaid and her veteran father Andy.

14. The Secret Sky by Atia Abawi: An eye-opening tale of love, honor and betrayal following Fatima and Samiullah, who fight their families, cultures, and the Taliban to stay together in Afghanistan.

15. Inland by Kat Rosenfield: An eerie, psychological dive into the mind of Callie Morgan, who hears something beckoning her into the dark waves of the sea, filling her with doubt, and revealing family secrets.

Book Review: The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Impossible Knife of Memory
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: January 7th 2014
Review Source: Viking Juvenile

For the past five years, Hayley Kincaid and her father, Andy, have been on the road, never staying long in one place as he struggles to escape the demons that have tortured him since his return from Iraq. Now they are back in the town where he grew up so Hayley can attend school. Perhaps, for the first time, Hayley can have a normal life, put aside her own painful memories, even have a relationship with Finn, the hot guy who obviously likes her but is hiding secrets of his own.

Will being back home help Andy’s PTSD, or will his terrible memories drag him to the edge of hell, and drugs push him over? The Impossible Knife of Memory is Laurie Halse Anderson at her finest: compelling, surprising, and impossible to put down.

You may know I am a sucker for heartbreaking stories. When Yara first told me about this book and after reading the summary, I just couldn’t wait to read it. Have you ever completed a book and wondered what it was missing? Well, this is how I feel after finishing this.

Hayley’s father, Andy, is a war veteran and is struggling with his demons. This has impacted Hayley and she has difficulties coping with life. To help Hayley with her future, Andy moves back to his hometown. Now Hayley must learn how to live a normal life. How can this possibly be normal when all she does is take care of him?

New in town, Hayley meets Finn, a very inscrutable and impulsive boy. He tricks Hayley and then they start a relationship. What I don’t like about this is that this relationship is so awkward. There is no chemistry at all and it takes much of the story. I would’ve liked the story to provide us more of Hayley’s life before her father’s demons began.

Over all, this book deals with a real life and a difficult topic. This is my first time reading a book of Laurie Anderson and you can tell by reading it, that she did an incredible job at researching about PTSD. I have to give her mad props, she nailed this topic. Yet, when it came to the romance, I think it was not necessary as much as this book goes into. Especially the romance Hayley and Finn shared. Nonetheless, this is a good read.