"Who Owns Kelly Paddik" by Beth Goobie

Kelly Paddik is a troubled teen who cannot escape the haunting memories of being raped by her father. Although he's no longer in the picture, his memory is locked in her brain. From the very first pages, we follow Kelly as she is sent to yet another girls' home. All she wants to do is escape, but escape from what?

Using tight, restrictive spaces throughout the novel, Goobie does a great job allowing the reader to experience the same isolated, oppressive, trapped feeling that Kelly expreinces both mentally and phisically. This book really grabs your attention, and it's a quick, easy read. I'd highly recommend it.

I'd rate this Five out of Five stars!

"Elsewhere" by Gabrielle Zevin

A fascinating - and funny! - peek into the hereafter is the premise of "Elsewhere" by Gabrielle Zevin. Liz, a 16-year-old, is riding her bike to the mall when she sails through an intersection and is hit and killed by a car. Liz finds herself travelling to and eventually arriving at a place called Elsewhere, which looks very much like planet Earth with one BIG difference. On Earth, as time goes by, one ages, but on Elsewhere, as time passes, one gets younger. Consequently, Liz meets her grandmother, who appears much younger than the woman she remembers before she died. Liz is very angry about the whole "being dead" scene; she feels she was robbed at so much that life on Earth had to offer - the prom, getting her driver's license, falling in love, etc. - and she is ticked that she will again be a helpless baby after a few short years.

Will Liz ever adjust to "life" on Elsewhere? Luckily for Liz, and for us readers, the answer to this question is answered via Zevin's clever writing and the colorful cast of characters she creates. This fiction book is a MUST read!

Rated : FIVE stars (out of FIVE)

"Such a Pretty Girl" by Laura Wiess

Much like the book "Speak" by Laurie Anderson, "Such a Pretty Girl" transports the reader to an intense atmosphere in which you can almost share the emotions of the main character. Meredith, a 15-year-old girl who lives with her mom in a condo complex, is feeling any sense of safety and security slip away as the date of her father's return approaches. Meredith's dad is soon to be released from prison, where he's been locked up for sexually molesting Meredith when she was younger. Unexpectedly released earlier than expected, Meredith's mom is anxiously waiting to welcome dear old dad back despite the fact that he is not supposed to be living under the same roof as Meredith. Knowing her father as she does, Meredith is sure that it is only a matter of time before her father molests her again. As she desperately tries to retreat behind the relative safety of questionable personal hygiene and a relationship with a boy who also was abused by her father, Meredith tries to figure out her options. Unfortunately, she feels the only permanent option is to set herself up as a victim once again to entrap her father into what would be a more permanent prison sentence. But can she bring herself to experience the horror once again to ensure her safety and the safety of others?

Warning: There is some mature content in this very gripping novel.

Rated: FIVE (Out of FIVE STARS)