Saving CeeCee Honeycutt -- Beth Hoffman

At the tender of age of 12, Cecelia Rose Honeycutt has already experienced more life than some adults. She has no friends in her town in Ohio; and, in fact, is either pitied or teased by the majority of the town. This is through no fault of her own. It is because her mother has lost her mind, and the whole town knows it. While her mother parades around town in a variety of ill-fitting pageant and prom dresses mentally living in 1951, Cecelia (better known as Cee Cee) hangs her head in embarrassment and horror. And because Cee Cee's father is never around -- he's a traveling salesman who checked out on the family situation long ago -- it falls to Cee Cee to care for her mother when she has an episode.

Sad, frustrated, and alone, Cee Cee wishes many times her life was different. And then one day, it is. Because one day, in a tragic accident, Cee Cee's mother dies. In swoops Cee Cee's great-aunt Tootie, whom Cee Cee met only once, as an infant. With the permission of Cee Cee's father, Aunt Tootie takes Cee Cee to live with her in Savannah and Cee Cee's life changes forever. In Savannah, Cee Cee meets strong woman of many varieties and backgrounds. She learns and grows; and, perhaps most importantly, she is allowed to be a child. She experiences love and kindness and even a few shockingly hilarious situations. And through this new environment, she is able to work through her struggles with the past and the demons she battles within.


***This was a cute read. There were a few areas I felt were unrealistic, and I am a bit disappointed that nearly every male character who actually played a part in the novel is portrayed in a negative light (with the exception of Aunt Tootie's husband, but he isn't actually in the novel, as he has passed away). I'm not saying women aren't great... But men aren't all jerks, yet that's how they all come across in this novel, at least in my opinion.

The Whistling Season -- Ivan Doig

Paul Milliron is a 13 year old genius in early 20th-Century Montana where his father is striving to homestead and farm in one of the driest areas of the country. He attends school in a one-room school house with his younger brothers Damon and Toby and shares school-day adventures with the other local students of Marias Coulee from 1st to 8th grade. Life is pretty constant for the Milliron family: Father can't cook, so the boys haven't had much of a decent meal since their mother passed away the previous year; Sunday means one good square meal at the neighbors' (and mother's cousin's) house -- which the boys relish, except for Aunt Eunice; Aunt Eunice will always complain that she may not make it another day; and school will be a dirge with Miss Adelaide Trent up front as teacher.

But that's before Rose Llewelyn enters the picture. When Father responds to her house-keeper ad in a paper from Minneapolis, she arrives with her brother Morrie in tow and turn the lives of all the Milliron males upside down! As she whistles while she works their house back into shape, Rose also wiggles her way into the lives of the boys. With her can-do attitude and never-ending work ethic, she changes her life -- and the lives of those she touches -- in one grand whistling season.


***This was a charming book. It took me a bit to get into, but the characters are so real, you feel as though you know them. I loved the language of the book -- the vocabulary and the way Doig writes. I definitely chuckled several times while reading, particularly with situations involving Aunt Eunice. Definitely a happy-ending good read!

The People of Sparks -- Jeanne DuPrau

Once Lina and Doon find a way out of the dying City of Ember, they are able to get a message back to their people, the Emberites. With instructions on how to leave the city and hope in their hearts, the Emberites pack up some food and a few belongings and trek out of their underground city. They meet up with Lina and Doon, and as a group of over 400, travel a road in hopes they will find a safe haven.

What they find is the city called Sparks, a small city of just over 300 which is just barely starting to prosper. Hesitantly, the leaders of Sparks agree to take in the Emberites temporarily. The townspeople are to teach the Emberites how to do a variety of tasks and provide them with food; but in 6 months, the Emberites will be turned out to make their own town, for the people of Sparks fear their humble supplies cannot sustain everyone permanently.

Initially, things go along well enough. But in time, resentments rise and fear grows. And the people living in the City of Sparks -- all of them -- begin repeating history without really realizing it at first. Will they realize it in time to fix it and avoid the tragedies of the past?


***This is a cute series. It's written for young teens, even pre-teens, so a lot of it is "obvious." But I really like the way the author addresses these issues in a way that will make sense to those growing and learning at that age. The issues are important ones: hate, revenge, war, forgiveness, selflessness. I think the story was wonderfully written and it was a good read, even for an adult.

Wild -- Cheryl Strayed

Cheryl Strayed (the last name one she chose for herself after her divorce) is a woman with many troubles. Her past is riddled with violence and instability with one exception: her loving mother. But when Cheryl is 22, cancer takes her mother from her as well, and Cheryl spirals into a self-destructive spin of drugs and immorality.

Finally forced to face who she has become when she realizes she has made a mess of her life, Cheryl can conceive of only one solution to mend herself: hike the Pacific Coast Trail. Alone. With little to no knowledge about long-distance hiking, and even less experience. But Cheryl is determined. And so she sets out on a life-altering journey through California and Oregon to find herself. And who she finds surprises her.


***It is hard for me to rate this book, honestly. I read it for book club and am anxious/nervous to see how discussion goes. Strayed has a gift for words. She weaves her past into the story of the trail so seamlessly, and I constantly wanted to keep reading. At the same time, though, I was appalled by much of it. The language was rough. And I cannot identify with this woman at all. So much so that I have a hard time feeling bad for some of what she went through in life. Not sure I would recommend this to others and don't plan to see the movie.

The Fault in Our Stars -- John Green

Dying of cancer sucks. That's pretty much how Hazel Grace Lancaster feels about it. But she is dying of cancer, and she'd just as soon live out the remainder of her life the way she wants to: at home, reading the same book over and over, and watching TV with her parents. Her mother, though, wants Hazel to "have a life." And so, to appease her ever-hovering and loving mother, Hazel agrees to attend a cancer support group at a local church. And that's where she meets Augustus Waters, a cancer survivor with a charismatic smile and intriguing personality. Hazel never thought she'd be particularly interested in romance, given her own situation. But Augustus Waters changes all that the day he stares at her through support group.

As Hazel and Augustus' relationship develops, even as Hazel tries to prevent it, for she sees herself as a grenade who will explode and destroy the people close to her, they experience moments of a lifetime. They create their own infinity in a finite number of days. And Hazel comes to learn the power of love and to realize we can avoid oblivion.


***I thought this was a powerful and beautiful novel. The author has an amazing way with words and expresses some very deep and beautiful things through the characters in this novel. My only regret is I watched the movie first. One of my favorite quotes: "Love is keeping the promise anyway."

Dear Enemy -- Jean Webster

In this sequel to Daddy-Long-Legs, Sallie McBride, college friend of Jerusha (Judy) Abbot, has been requested to become the new superintendent of the John Grier House, the orphanage in which Judy was raised. Though Sallie initially balks at the idea, she eventually decides to try out the position when her beau laughingly tells her she couldn't handle the position. Sallie is nothing if not up to a challenge!

And so Sallie McBride finds herself the superintendent of the orphanage, with charge over 113 children who range in age from babies to 16 years old. With the assistance of money provided by Judy and her husband Jervis (Daddy-Long-Legs), Sallie undertakes to make many improvements at the orphanage, using the stories Judy once shared as a basis for ways to make the home a happier and healthier place for the children who reside there. Also there to assist is Dr. Robin MacRae, the Scotch doctor who rubs her the wrong way from day one -- but whom Judy and Jervis feel sure she would take an instant liking to.

Sallie's intentions are for the position to be temporary. For she is a young woman with a politician beau in Washington, D.C. who is used to the finer things in life and a life of ease. But little by little she finds purpose in her position and the little children wiggle their ways into her heart, making it hard for her to consider leaving. And then there's the doctor...


***Another witty, cute book by Jean Webster. Loved this! Moments of chuckling, just as in Daddy-Long-Legs. Definitely worth the read and look forward to sharing it with my children in the years ahead!

Crazy in Love -- Dandi Daley Mackall

Mary Jane (aka Plain Jane... aka MJ) is a senior in high school. And she has a massive crush on Jackson House. But Jackson has a girlfriend, even though he HAS been flirting with Mary Jane. And his girlfriend just happens to be in Mary Jane's group of friends. So when rumors start flying about Mary Jane and Jackson... Well, things turn ugly. Her friends can't believe Mary Jane would betray a friend like that. But the truth is: nothing has happened! No matter, rumors fly fast. And soon Mary Jane's reputation is on the line.

As if high school life wasn't complicated enough. Mary Jane is already dealing with her best friend being away at college, her boss at the Twisted Pretzel being a big pain, and her "rents." And let's not even get started on how confused she is about love and everything else in the romance-world. While Mary Jane battles all the outside fiascoes of teenage life, there is a battle going on inside as well: the battle between Plain Jane and MJ, her two alter-egos with totally opposing viewpoints on sex and Jackson House. Because even IF Jackson did like Mary Jane, what would that mean? She'd promised to wait until she was married to have sex. She'd made a pact with her two best friends (both of whom are now away at college). She decides it's all a moot point anyway... Until things DO start changing with Jackson. And now Mary Jane must decide what she wants for her future and who she really is.


***I liked this book for a few reasons. I'd probably give it a little over 3 stars. The story, set in high school, was a little immature seeming most of the time. But that could be that my 34-year old self can't really relate to the high school angst anymore. But there were quite a few messages I appreciated in this book. Like how Mary Jane's best friend Alicia reasoned remaining abstinent until marriage: "Sometimes I feel like there's not so much of me to give, so I better save it for the man I want to marry. Like, I don't want to leave pieces of me all over the place... Plus, who wants to be married to this perfectly great guy but still be thinking about the super sex you had with some loser in high school?" I felt like there was a lot of depth in that. I also like that there wasn't a bunch of bad language in the book. That actually surprised me, and I liked it a lot!