All Books Considered

All Girls by Emily Layden Blurb from Goodreads : A keenly perceptive coming-of-age novel, All Girls captures one year at a prestigious New England prep school, as nine young women navigate their ambitions, friendships, and fears against the backdrop of a scandal the administration wants silenced. But as the months unfold, and the school's efforts to control the ensuing crisis fall short, these extraordinary girls are forced to discover their voices, and their power. A tender and unflinching portrait of modern adolescence told through the shifting perspectives of an unforgettable cast of female students, All Girls explores what it means to grow up in a place that promises you the world––when the world still isn't yours for the taking. My Review:   As you may know, I generally love books set in boarding schools and this one is no exception!  In the vein of Prep , this boo...

The Removed by Brandon Hobson Blurb from Goodreads : Steeped in Cherokee myths and history, a novel about a fractured family reckoning with the tragic death of their son long ago—from National Book Award finalist Brandon Hobson In the fifteen years since their teenage son, Ray-Ray, was killed in a police shooting, the Echota family has been suspended in private grief. The mother, Maria, increasingly struggles to manage the onset of Alzheimer’s in her husband, Ernest. Their adult daughter, Sonja, leads a life of solitude, punctuated only by spells of dizzying romantic obsession. And their son, Edgar, fled home long ago, turning to drugs to mute his feelings of alienation. With the family’s annual bonfire approaching—an occasion marking both the Cherokee National Holiday and Ray-Ray’s death, and a rare moment in which they openly talk about his memory—Maria attempts to call the family together from their physical and emotional dista...

Girls with Bright Futures by Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman Blurb from Goodreads : Three women. Three daughters. And a promise that they'll each get what they deserve. College admissions season at Seattle's Elliott Bay Academy is marked by glowing acceptances from top-tier institutions and students as impressive as their parents are ambitious. But when Stanford alerts the school it's allotting only one spot to EBA for their incoming class, three mothers discover the competition is more cut-throat than they could have imagined. Tech giant Alicia turns to her fortune and status to fight for her reluctant daughter's place at the top. Kelly, a Stanford alum, leverages her PTA influence and insider knowledge to bulldoze the path for her high-strung daughter. And Maren makes three: single, broke, and ill-equipped to battle the elite s...

Happy Girl Lucky (The Valentines #1) by Holly Smale Blurb from Goodreads : Sisters Hope, Faith and Mercy have everything: fame, success, money and beauty. But what Hope wants most of all is love, and it doesn’t matter how far she has to go to find it. Except real-life isn't like the movies. Even if you're a Valentine . My Review:   I usually really like YA books involving becoming famous or being related to someone famous (See Spoiled ; Not in the Script ; Between the Lines ) but this one was a bit odd.  At first, I couldn't figure out Hope -- she had almost too rich of an internal life.  If you are ok with the character fantasizing for the majority of the book versus actually living, then this may be the book for you.  I am curious what the other books in the series will be like (presumably about the other siblin...