Before I Die, by Jenny Downham

    Okay, now I have been obsessed with this book ever since I picked it up. This is a novel about a teen named Tessa. Tessa has been living with terminal cancer for years now, and she decides to make a list of things she wants to do and experience before she dies, hence the title. These things include drugs, breaking the law, saying yes to everything for a day, and even falling in love. This novel is sooo extremely well written, and Tessa's thought process is so unique, which makes sure the book never gets boring. I find it hard to put the book down, and it's the type of novel that you can read over and over and it never gets old. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone who is looking for a good read:)

Impulse, by Ellen Hopkins

    Impulse, by Ellen Hopkins is an amazing book that I LOVED when I read it in my freshman year of high school. I couldn't put this book down.
    It looks like a gigantic, thick book at first, but this is because of the strange writing style Ellen uses in most of her books. It is written in verses, or stanzas, kind of like a poem. A really really long poem.

    The book is about three suicidal teens that meet in a mental facility. Their lives are all very different, but also the same in the fact that they're all in a deep depression. Throughout the book, their lives intertwine and meet together to make an amazingly interesting novel.
    I really love this book because Ellen creates so many unexpected twists and turns in the novel, especially around the end (I don't want to ruin it for you!). These twists keep you on the edge and make sure the story stays interesting. I love the way Ellen intertwines the teenager's lives and brings them all together to create one mutual story. It's genius, really.
    The novel can be a little confusing at first, with how Ellen changes between the character's lives, but once you get to know the characters (which doesn't take long),  it is obvious as to who she is writing about.

Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson

Well, here we go... first post. Lets do this!
    Well, I have a slightly strange taste in books. I like darker themes, if you know what I mean. For example, I read this AMAZING book not to long ago called Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson.

    This book is about a young teen named Lia. The book opens with Lia getting the news that her best friend, Cassie, who was bulimic, has died under unknown circumstances. Lia herself is struggling with anorexia, which rises in severity as the book goes on.
    This book pulled on my heartstrings like no other. It was almost like I could feel Lia's inner turmoil of thinking she wasn't good enough, that her thighs were too big, or her stomach popped out too much. Near the middle of the book, it got to the point where she had to put weights in her bathrobe to convince her stepmother that she wasn't losing weight, when in fact, she was spiraling down into nothingness.
    This book has multiple flashbacks into their childhood, one showing how her best friend's bulimia started. I must admit, this book can get very graphic, so if you're really squeamish, I don't recommend this book. But in other cases, if you like darker themes in your books, this is an AMAZING choice, and it will keep you going, wondering, until the very end. :)