The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas

Most girls enjoy reading teen romance novels. Unfortunately, it seems that most love stories targeted toward our age group all have the same plot lines and are very limited. Each of these stories only seems to be a variation on a theme. For this reason, I was pleasantly surprised when I read The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas, which really stood out from other novels in this genre.

This book is about Antonia Lucia Bella, an Italian American teenager with big dreams and hopes of finding love. Since she was a child, Antonia has dreamed of becoming a saint. She has sent the Pope tons of letters suggesting all kinds of saints — from patron saint of the fig tree to saint of quick thinking. She has always recommended herself for the job. But now she needs a certain saint more than anything else- the patron saint of kissing. Antonia is desperate for her first kiss. Only, she may be looking for a relationship with the wrong guy, when her perfect match is right before her.

Through a few miracles, humorous events, and sweet moments, Antonia learns about herself and love. Most of all, she sees that she is wonderful the way she is.

This novel is laced with the humor and struggles of dealing with family, boys, and discovering yourself. It is a fun read that I would recommend to girls looking for an entertaining coming-of-age book.

Review by KM

Works Cited
"The Possibilites of Sainthood Cover." Online image. LibraryThing. 17 March 2009 http://www.librarything.com/work/5126377

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

I found this to be a very compelling read. Lucy (Lucinda) has been raised by two loving adoptive parents. Her mother, Miranda, went crazy after giving birth, leaving Lucy with the lyrics to Scarborough Fair. The Scarborough girls have been cursed...they get pregnant with a daughter at 18 and as soon as they deliver the daughter they go insane. The lyrics to the song they pass down holds the key to breaking the curse. When she is 18, Lucy too becomes pregnant after she is raped at prom. Lucy has people around her who love and believe in her, including the boy-next-door best friend Zach, and together this group tries to race against time to complete the three tasks before she delivers her baby.

Because of some of the issues that arise in this book, I would recommend it as a read for 8th graders. This book would definitely appeal to fans of Twilight and the Gemma Doyle series, but certainly is a strong enough read to find fans all its own. It seems like several of the books I've read lately (From Charlie's Point of View, A Great and Terrible Beauty, Poison, and Keturah and Lord Death) have this common thread of integrating this fantasy or other-worldly realm into the story.

Works Cited
"Impossible Cover." Online image. LibraryThing. 23 Dec. 2008 http://www.librarything.com/work/5398461/

Evermore by Alyson Noel

Are you looking for a good romance book but tired of the typical love-story plot line? If so, I would recommend the book Evermore by Alyson Noël. The novel’s main character, sixteen-year-old Ever, lost her family in a terrible car crash. She miraculously survived the accident, and gained the ability to hear people’s thoughts, see auras, and know everything about a person by touch. She also has frequent visits from her dead little sister. She takes extra measures to restrain her powers, and these precautions make her an outcast. This doesn’t affect Ever because she hasn’t cared about most social matters since her former carefree lifestyle ended. That is, until she meets an unusual new student, Damen. Everyone at her school is falling for him, and for good reason, because he is extraordinarily handsome, interesting, and talented. He not only stops the hearts of every girl at the school, but also stops Ever’s burdensome gifts. Ever finds herself in love with Damen, but she quickly realizes that he isn’t like other humans. In fact, she isn’t even sure that he is human. Along with this new love comes danger. Damen’s close friend, Drina, hates Ever and becomes a horrible threat to her existence. Ever finds herself facing a horrible enemy, trying to understand her abilities, helping her sister move on, and deciding whether or not she belongs with Damen.

I thought Evermore was a really interesting and thought provoking book. I also thought it was a refreshing, unique love story compared to typical romance novel, however it was not one of my favorites. I felt like I didn’t get to know other characters besides the narrator very well, and this made it harder to understand their ways of thinking and had trouble wanting Damen and Ever to end up together. Also, it seemed like I had heard some of the ideas and details before, in Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight. I think that those who haven’t read the Twilight series will appreciate this book more. Overall, I would give this a rating of 2.5 stars out of 5. Despite my low rating, I did like this book and think that fans of romance and the paranormal will enjoy reading Evermore.

Works Cited
"Evermore cover." Online image. LibraryThing. 1 Nov. 2008 http://www.librarything.com/work/6103672

Comeback Season -- Could this be the year for the Cubs?

A big thanks to my friend and fellow librarian, Katie Kirsch, for getting me a copy of The Comeback Season signed by the author. If you are a fan of the Chicago Cubs, you definitely should check this book out!

Ryan's dad died suddenly when she was in elementary school. His loss has left her reeling for years. One of the things her dad left her with is a love for the Cubs. When Ryan ditches school to attend opening day, she runs in to Nick, a new boy at school, at Wrigley Field. They begin a friendship that turns to romance which helps both of them get through some tough times. Above all, they keep hoping that maybe this will be the Cubs' year.

Image Citation

"The Comeback Season cover." Online image. LibraryThing. 24 April 2008 < http://www.librarything.com/work/book/29732377>.

Dairy Queen and The Off Season

Over break I read The Off Season by Catherine Murdock. I won a whole box of brand new copies in a book club contest! This is the title the 8th grade Lunch Bunch is reading for our April meeting. DJ is the only girl playing varsity football around. Her life is going along smoothly, so smoothly in fact she feels like the other shoe is about to drop. And it sure does. On top of discovering her family's money troubles that may put the future of their farm in jeopardy, her kind-of boyfriend never wants be seen with her in public, her best friend has stopped coming to school, she hurts her shoulder, and her oldest brother has been seriously injured in a football game. DJ deals with all the turmoils with sincerity. This book was a joy to read!


The Off Season is the continuation of DJ's story. When I saw the first book, Dairy Queen, come back into the library last week, I just had to pick it up. I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed reading the first part of DJ's story too. Although I think I liked The Off Season just a little bit better.

I'm looking forward to the book club discussion of the book later this week!


"Dairy Queen Cover." Online image. LibraryThing. 6 April 2008 <
http://www.librarything.com/work/book/29135398 >.
"The Off Season Cover." Online image. LibraryThing. 6 April 2008 <
http://www.librarything.com/work/book/28485852 >.