December reads

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen is a book I felt was similar to Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, but a gentler version. Annabel is a pretty popular student who has friends and models as well. At the end of the school year something happened and Annabel withdrew from everyone. When she returns to school in the fall she realizes how much her withdrawal has changed things. She meets a new friend, builds some old relationships, learns about her family and in the end the secrets all come out. This was a good book typical of a YA story. Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin is about another popular girl who takes a fall down the stairs at school and forgets everything back to sixth grade. Since she has forgotten so much the person she is now is different having not been formed by the events of her teenage years she can not remember. She struggles with all her relationships and learns a lot about herself. I really enjoyed this book and the journey it takes the reader down.

In You, Maybe by Rachel Vail, Josie is a independent strong girl, however once the affections of a popular boy turn to her she changes, suddenly her clothes matter, she worries if her hair is the way he likes, etc... Through the relationship she begins with denial about her feelings then goes for it turning away her friends. Over the week of the relationship very predictable things happen and the ending is figured out very early on. Skybreaker is the sequel to Airborn by Kenneth Opel and picks up the story not too long after we last heard from Matt and Kate. Matt is now at the Academy and Kate presents another adventure, to catch the infamous airship Aurora. This is a great adventure story and was enjoyable to read.

**Forgot one, Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. This is the autobiographical of Jon Krakauer offered to journey to the top of Mt. Everest for a story, the trip turned out to be one of the deadliest treks in awhile. The author also peppers the book with historical information about the mountain.