Dear Evan Hansen, The Novel

Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Hachette Book Group Canada
Published: October 9th, 2018
Publisher: Poppy
Recommended Age: 12+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, High School, Mental Health, Suicide, LGBTQIA+, Romance

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REVIEW:

This was my first time reading a novel based on a play. And you know what? Even though I had no idea what to expect and had mildly bad experiences with novelizations in the past, this was quite the positive experience.

It becomes obvious after the first couple of chapters that this story was modified to fit the novel format because of the way certain scenes unfold or the text itself, but that only adds to the specialness of the book.

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Jack of Hearts – Lev A.C. Rosen

Jack of Hearts by Lev A.C. Rosen

My rating: 1.5 of 5 stars
Received: Hachette Book Group Canada
Published: October 30th, 2018
Publisher: Little, Brown BFYR
Recommended Age: 14+
Pacing: Fast
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, LGBTQIA+, Contemporary, High School, Relationships, Sex, Mystery

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BLURB:

Jack has a lot of sex–and he’s not ashamed of it. While he’s sometimes ostracized, and gossip constantly rages about his sex life, Jack always believes that “it could be worse.” But then, the worse unexpectedly strikes: When Jack starts writing a teen sex advice column for an online site, he begins to receive creepy and threatening love letters that attempt to force Jack to curb his sexuality and personality. Now it’s up to Jack an his best friends to uncover the stalker–before their love becomes dangerous.

Geek Charming – Robin Palmer

Geek Charming by Robin Palmer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
Published: 2009
Publisher: Speak
Recommended Age: 10+
Pacing: Fast
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, High School, Popularity

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BLURB:

Dylan Shoenfield is the princess of L.A.’s posh Castle Heights High. She has the coolest boyfriend, the most popular friends, and a brand-new ‘it’ bag that everyone covets. But when she accidentally tosses her bag into a fountain, this princess comes face-to-face with her own personal frog: self professed film geek Josh Rosen. In return for rescuing Dylan’s bag, Josh convinces Dylan to let him film her for his documentary on high school popularity. Reluctantly, Dylan lets F-list Josh into her A-list world, and is shocked to realize that sometimes nerds can be pretty cool. But when Dylan’s so-called prince charming of a boyfriend dumps her flat, her life–and her social status–comes to a crashing halt. Can Dylan–with Josh’s help–pull the pieces together to create her own happily-ever-after?

The Princess Diaries – Meg Cabot

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Bought
Published: 2000
Publisher: HarperCollins
Recommended Age: 10+
Pacing: Fast
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, High School, Drama, Family, Romance, Friendship

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BLURB:

Mia Thermopolis is pretty sure there’s nothing worse than being a five-foot-nine, flat-chested freshman, who also happens to be flunking Algebra. Is she ever in for a surprise. First Mom announces that she’s dating Mia’s Algebra teacher. Then Dad has to go and reveal that he is the crown prince of Genovia. And guess who still doesn’t have a date for the Cultural Diversity Dance?

Aftermath – Kelley Armstrong

Aftermath by Kelley Armstrong

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
Published: May 22nd, 2018
Publisher: Crown BFYR
Recommended Age: 12+
Pacing: Fast
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, High School, Friendship, Shooting

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BLURB:

Three years after losing her brother Luka in a school shooting, Skye Gilchrist is moving home. But there’s no sympathy for Skye and her family because Luka wasn’t a victim; he was a shooter. Jesse Mandal knows all too well that the scars of the past don’t heal easily. The shooting cost Jesse his brother and his best friend–Skye. Ripped apart by tragedy, Jesse and Skye can’t resist reopening the mysteries of their past. But old wounds hide darker secrets. And the closer Skye and Jesse get to the truth of what happened that day, the closer they get to a new killer.

Paper Butterflies – Lisa Heathfield

Paper Butterflies by Lisa Heathfield

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Distributor
Published: October 1st, 2017
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Recommended Age: 14+
Pacing: Slow
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Abuse, Racism, Bullying, Romance, Family, Friendship

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BLURB: 

June’s stepmother physically abuses her, but June can’t find the words to tell anyone. Her only hope is her friendship with Blister, a boy who helps her believe she can escape. Then a shocking tragedy occurs and June finds herself trapped, potentially forever.

My So-Called Bollywood Life – Nisha Sharma

My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
Published: May 15th, 2018
Publisher: Crown BFYR
Recommended Age: 11+
Pacing: Normal
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Romance, Culture, High School, Film Industry

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BLURB: 

Winnie Mehta was never really convinced that Raj was her soulmate, but their love was written in the stars. Literally, a pandit predicted Winnie would find the love of her life before her 18th birthday, and Raj meets all of the qualifications. Which is why Winnie is shocked to return from her summer at film camp to find her boyfriend of three years hooking up with Jenny Dickens. Worse, Raj is crowned chair of the student film festival, a spot Winnie was counting on for her film school applications. As a self-proclaimed Bollywood expert, Winnie knows this is not how her perfect ending is scripted. Then there’s Dev, a fellow film geek, and one of the few people Winnie can count on to help her reclaim control of her story. Dev is smart charming, and challenges Winnie to look beyond her horoscope to find someone she’d pick for herself. But does falling for Dev mean giving up on her prophecy, and her chance to live happily ever after? To get her Bollywood-like life on track, Winnie will need a little bit of help from fate, family, and of course, a Bollywood movie star.