The Thing about the Truth by Lauren Barnholdt

      Kelsey finally has a chance to start over. Now that she is starting public school she can get her life back on track. Focus on college, get good grades, and keep her past a secret. No one knows that Kelsey was recently kicked out of Concordia Prep or the reasons behind her expulsion.  Kelsey soon finds that life at Concordia Public isn’t as easy as she thought, especially since she met Isaac.

    Isaac is on his last chance. This Senator’s son has been kicked out of so many private schools that if he can’t make it work at Concordia Public he is off to boarding school. Kelsey wants to stay far away from this bad boy, but when they are forced to work on a school project together the two can’t help but grow close. No matter what her feelings are for Isaac, Kelsey must keep her secrets. As their project to bring the students of Concordia Prep and Concordia Public together draws closer, Kelsey struggles to keep her past hidden.

    Told from alternating view points of Isaac and Kelsey, The Thing about the Truth, keeps readers on the edge of their seat as Kelsey’s lies start to unravel. Author Lauren Barnholdt chose to write the story from a before and after standpoint, which only adds to the suspense of finding out about Kelsey’s past. The Thing about the Truth is a great story and a quick read. The characters are real and the author does a great job conveying their emotions.

52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody

Lexington Larrabee has everything. Fabulous clothes, an expensive car, a mansion, a jet at her disposal and a check for $25 million dollars waiting for her….that is until her dad spoils everything. After causing one too many scandals Lexi’s father decides she has to earn her inheritance… all $25 million. Now she must complete 52 weeks of 52 dead end minimum wage jobs before she can cash in on her fortune. Now add in the fact that her father has stuck her with a babysitter, granted a very cute babysitter who is quite ripped, and Lexi’s world pretty much sucks. But there is more to meets the eye with this rich girl. Underneath her fabulous lifestyle, Lexi’s lives in a world without love. Will her 52 jobs be able to solve her problems or will Lexi be drawn back into her old life of scandal?

     52 Reasons To Hate My Father is a great summer novel. We have all seen the socialites scattered on the tabloids, but in Jessica Brody’s new novel she adds a certain twist to the out of control rich girl that we usually see. 52 Reasons to Hate My Father will keep you entertained and smiling as Lexi struggles to adjust to her new lifestyle.

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

“Hershey’s Kisses, the Thin voice said. Twenty-five calories.
The Thin voice whispered, Brown rice, one hundred thirty-five calories. Steamed broccoli, two cups, fifty calories. One bite of chicken, thirty-six calories. Two hours on the exercise bike.

A diet is temporary, the Thin voice said knowingly. Being thin is forever.”

The Thin voice won’t go away. It is constantly there to remind Lisabeth Lewis that she is a failure. Everyone is thin, why not her? Life deals another twist of cruel fate when Lisabeth makes a deal with Death himself. Her new job? She is now Famine…as in one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Lisabeth must now face hunger in a way that she never thought of. She is slammed face first into a world were millions go without food every day, not because they are on a diet, but because they are on the brink of starvation and death. Lisabeth must learn to use her new power to not only help fight the injustices of the world and keep balance, but also the personal demons that live inside her.

Jackie Morse Kessler uses the historic story of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the current epidemic of eating disorders to create a story that will suck you in. As the Thin voice plagues Lisabeth into a world of despair, you are completely enthralled at the ironic twist of her being forced to be Famine. Kessler’s unique writing style is sharp, refreshing, and completely addicting. Given the fact the Hunger is only 177 pages, Kessler is able to create a storyline that is well developed, but quick to the point. Hunger is the first installment of the Riders of the Apocalypse series. Rage, the second in the series, was released in April of 2011 and the third installment in the series, Loss, was just released in March 2012. Once you start this series you will not want to put it down.

My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan by Seth Rudestsky

Justin Goldblatt is tired of being the unpopular kid in high school. Sure there are about six kids that he is more popular than, but Justin dreams of being the guy that everyone wants to be. So he devises a plan. First he needs to get Chuck the quarterback to notice him. With a quarterback as a boyfriend, Justin will be unstoppable. Too bad is plan is destined to fail. 

  My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan is the first novel by Seth Rudestsky, who is a Broadway actor and SiriusXM radio host. One thing that really irked me about Rudestsky’s writing style was his tendency for the character of Justin to randomly ramble about absolutely nothing that pertained of helped the story. I wasn’t invested in the storyline and I felt like I needed adderall to keep up with his writing. The premise behind the storyline is interesting, especially when Justin has to pretend to be the boyfriend of Becky, the most popular girl in school. Now add in the fact that Becky is the secret girlfriend of Chuck, the object of Justin's affection, and you have a recipe for disaster for poor Justin. The two supporting characters of Spencer and Becky did help keep the story grounded, but the main character of Justin was more annoying than relatable