Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum is realistic fiction and romantic. Julie Buxbaum writes about, Jessie, a teenager who has her life changed forever when her mother dies from cancer and her father practically elopes with a stranger. From Chicago to Los Angeles, Jessie struggles with her identity and her place in the jungle of Wood Valley High School. From the popular girls mean comments to the falls in the classroom, she considers moving back to Chicago. That is until she receives an anonymous email from someone called “SN” short for “Somebody/Nobody.” This stranger gives her advice on how to survive in her new world. It is sweet and filled with mystery. SN seems to know her too well. Who could it really be?

This was one of my favorite books that I read this year because Jessie always had someone in mind that she thought could be SN but she really struggled trying to make sense of it all. It was such a fun read and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a little heartbreak and a little love. The story was pretty relatable to any girl who has ever been thoroughly confused by drama in her life or has suffered any kind of loss. It was not predictable like some high school novels can be, it was surprising yet satisfying at the same time. What caught my eye about this book was the cover which has hearts made out of half eaten waffles which I guessed was relevant to the story. It is definitely a thumbs up read from me!

The novel “The Longest Ride” by Nicholas Sparks unravels two beautiful romance stories. The two stories are more different than alike but each love story have its own unique characteristics. The first story is about a man named Ira. He gets into a wreck on a snowy night and starts hallucinating his wife, who died 9 years ago. They start recapping their “Longest Ride” together. There love story came to be in the 1900’s around World War 2, making for some tough times and some beautifully romantic times. The other story is about young Sophia and Luke. Sophia is in college and Luke rides bulls. They meet at a rodeo and their totally different worlds collide. They soon start a relationship that is different than any other they’ve had. I loved this book because I love romance novels. I recommend it if you love sappy romance.
Reviewer grade 10

This novel is about forty-six year old, Paris after her husband ups and leaves her one day for a younger woman. Paris’ identify as a wife and mother is quickly shattered. Her youngest leaves for collage and she is left with nothing but grief. She slowly progresses to developing a new life and self understanding. I will start off by saying that this is a book I picked up for 99 cents in a thrift store and sat on myself until I had read all the other books I had picked up. So needless to say this wasn’t a novel I was anticipating reading. With that said I enjoyed it more than I originally thought I might. Steel has a very descriptive writing style that keeps you engaged. As a seventeen year old, it's not the most relatable book because I just haven’t had the life experiences that were so important to Paris. Due to the fact that it's a romance novel I would say its pretty predictable but it does have a good twist at the end. When I first started reading this book I didn’t really like Paris as a character as she was very unmotivated and didn’t have any anger towards her cheating husband but as the book progressed she changed a lot and grew on me. I don’t know if I would really recommend this book to anyone my age. It wasn’t bad but I've read books I liked much better. I think this book would be better enjoyed by someone a little older who could relate to the characters and Paris’ situation more.

This book follows a friends group of high school girls after making what they call a sex pact. They realize that they have just under a year of high school left and they want to experience something before they move on in life. In some ways this book falls into the romance category but it is not like your stereotypical romance novel. I know many people have concerns about things like this because they think it glorifies something very intimate and somewhat dirty but the way Lindsey Rosin wrote this book is very tasteful and, I would say true, to the high school experience and mind. After reading it, I would suggest that this was written to be empowering not objectifying. I really enjoyed reading it because there is a lack of media and acceptance of female sexuality specifically in the teenage years. Obviously it's not a book for everyone and if the topic makes you uncomfortable then I would suggest you find another book to read. With that said, I think it's a great book for high school age girls because not only does it talk about things lots of things not necessarily taught but it also has a lot of humor in it. In terms of vocabulary and book length it's not a hard book to read. Due to the fact that the subjects of the books are teenagers it's pretty easy to relate to the characters at my age. The overall concept of the book is very reminiscent of American Pie but it's much less vulgar. Rosin also makes sure to touch on the emotions and complications of relationships and sex. One thing I really like is that she not only included heterosexual relationships but homosexual ones as well which I believe is very relevant to our culture now. I would most definitely recommend this to any girl who is looking for a light hearted and relatable book.

This book was very popular a few years back amongst the girls who loved romantic books. I had very high expectations for it since it had its own movie. I was let down with a sad, sappy story that barely intrigued me.
It's what you would think of when someone brings up the average young adult novel. It's the classic story of a young beautiful girl, but supposedly normal, girl who faces a challenge. Along the way, she has a love interest who is head over heels for her. In the end she faces her challenge and lives happily ever after. The book was a bit boring to read. I have read books that have made me cry with the characters, and been angry with the characters, and so on. This... was not one of those. There were many sad things that happened in this book, but the author just couldn't reach me. Overall, I give this book 2 out of 5 stars for the lack of originality and its failed attempt to try to make it sad.

This is an amazing book! However, if you do not like the classic-book-writing style, this book might bore you out of your mind. You have been warned! But, if you don’t mind the style of writing, you will love this book! Besides from being a classic it is also a romance novel. I really enjoyed this book and I hope you will to!

Reviewer grade: 8th

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux is a beautiful, classic novel that has an extremely compelling story. The book is about a Parisian opera house that is “haunted” by a mysterious and alluring phantom. The phantom falls in love with soprano Christine Daaè which causes a ton of trouble for the opera house. It is a story about romance, obsession, suspense and mystery. The book was extremely interesting and thought provoking. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of classic literature or the Broadway musical. The story does go more into depth in Christine’s childhood and the phantom’s backstory. I also enjoyed the psychological suspense aspect of the story as well. This book was very detailed and at some points extremely complicated, which made that story even more interesting. There were some boring parts, but most of the time the book kept me engaged. This book is a somewhat hard book because of it’s old fashioned style of writing that may not appeal to the younger reader.
There is no swearing in this novel. Overall, I would recommend this to an older teen who has an interest in Broadway based stories.

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins is about a girl named Isla who has not so secretly liked one of her classmates (Josh). What happens when they have a chance encounter in Manhattan and have a romantic connection? Will Josh remember their encounter when school starts? I would rate this book a 3 out of 5 because it was a good story, but it was quite slow and didn't keep me interested most of the time. I would recommend this book to people who like teen romance. I read this book because I generally like Stephanie Perkins's books, but this one was not a personal favorite.
Grade 9

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins is about a high school student named Lola. Lola has a boyfriend whose a little older than her but still very sweet, a loyal best friend, and an impeccable fashion sense.
Her perfect world comes crashing down when her old neighbors move back into their old house. What happened with her and her neighbors? How will she survive living next to them? I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 because it kept me in suspense the whole time and the author made the romance between the main characters come to life. I read this book because I love Stephanie Perkin's books. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes teen romance.
Grade 9

I love this book. The magic surrounding Tita and her cooking is at times beautiful, funny, and heartbreaking. This book is told by Tita's great-niece and one can imagine the magic as real or as a result of storytelling. Your choice. Either way, this captivating quick read is a must.