Reader Girls Blog

Publisher: Big Mouth House (April 2010) Page Count: 212 Reading Level: YA Summary: In her debut collection, "New York Times" best-selling author Holly Black returns to the world of "Tithe" in two darkly exquisite new tales. Then Black takes readers on a tour of a faerie market and introduces a girl poisonous to the touch and another who challenges the devil to a competitive eating match. These stories have been published in anthologies such as "21 Proms," "The Faery Reel," and "The Restless Dead," and have been reprinted in many "Best of" anthologies. "The Poison Eater"s is Holly Black's much-anticipated first collection of stories, and her ability to stare into the void--and to find humanity and humor there--will speak to young adult and adult readers alike.  My review: I'm usually not a big fan of short stories but after reading this novel I am. I was surprised at how much I really enjoyed these tw

Publisher: Simon Pulse (July 2009) Page Count: 257 Reading Level: YA Summary: Owen, Frank, Audrey, and Jin-Ae have one thing in common: they all want to die. When they meet online after each attempts suicide and fails, the four teens make a deadly pact: they will escape together on a summer road trip to visit the sites of celebrity suicides...and at their final destination, they will all end their lives. As they drive cross-country, bonding over their dark impulses, sharing their deepest secrets and desires, living it up, hooking up, and becoming true friends, each must decide whether life is worth living--or if there's no turning back. My review : I didn't know what to expect when I first started reading this book. A suicide pact between four strangers? A cross-country drive to off themselves? It sounded dark and depressing. Crash Into Me proved me wrong. Yes, it dealt with depressing topics and dark thoughts but the story wasn't overburdened by them. I liked the