Book Warriors

In this, the third and final book of the Peaches series, author Jodi Lynn Anderson brings Murphy, Leeda, and Birdie back to the Darlington Orchard for one more summer of exploration, adventure, and romance before bringing their stories to a close. Wild Murphy cut all ties with Bridgewater, Georgia when she moved to New York City after high school, including those with boyfriend and all-around great guy Rex. Deciding to return home for the summer means facing him again and facing some truths about her emotional hangups. Beautiful, perfectionist Leeda has found love with a perfect new boyfriend at Columbia University, and his love gives her an instant identity complete with a circle of new friends. When she returns to Bridgewater and receives a most unusual inheritance from her eccentric grandmother, Leeda may finally have to confront who she is and what she wants. Meanwhile Birdie had planned to stay in Mexico where she has been studying abroad and where she and Enrico have grown even closer…perhaps too close since Birdie shows up at the orchard unexpectedly at the start of the peach picking season. Birdie finds that her father has plans for the orchard and the house that may destroy her dreams. Now Birdie must decide whether she really wants what she thought she wants and figure out how to follow her true heart.

The writing is a little uneven on this installment, but the characters are richer and those who’ve read the first two will enjoy seeing where life is heading for the three girls. A sweet story of love and growing up. If you loved the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, you’ll want to grab this series too.

Not gonna lie to you, reading The Possibilities of Sainthood felt cleansing after the last two uber-dark books I posted on. First time author Donna Freitas brings us the story Antonia Lucia Labella, a 15-year old Catholic school girl who’s never been kissed. Antonia lives with her very strict, very Catholic, very Italian mother and grandmother above their speciality food store in Rhode Island. While she spends most every hour at school or working in the store, Antonia dreams of two things–becoming the first living Catholic saint and getting kissed by her secret love, Andy Rotellini.

Sounds contradictory right? I found Antonia sweet and completely naive at first, and therefore pretty unbelievable as a modern teen protagonist. But I gradually gave into her charms and realized that though her obsession with sainthood was not typical of most teens, her optimisim and longing to believe are not completely unheard of in 15-year girls. Besides, her monthly suggestions to the Vatican for new saints are darn funny and her vision of sainthood is decidedly modern (e.g. she puts herself up for Patron Saint of Kissing, among others).

All told, a sweet story about a girl’s first forays into romance, one that stands out in the genre for its humor and warm-heartedness.

Setting: Gracetown, North Carolina; Christmas; massive snow storm. Three popular young adult authors write three separate but interconnected romances.

In the first, Maureen Johnson tells the story of Jubilee Dougal stuck on a train to Florida and her grandparents because her parents have been arrested as part of a riot over collectible Christmas decorations. Parted from her perfect boyfriend, things go from bad to worse when the train gets stuck in snow in Gracetown. Jubilee decides to make a break for the Waffle House across the interstate rather than get trapped on the train full of hyperactive cheerleaders. There she meets Stuart, who invites her to stay with he and his mom for Christmas. Stuart is sweet and cute, a good listener, who unfortunately asks a lot of uncomfortable questions about just how perfect her boyfriend really is. The question is, is Jubilee ready to face the answer?

John Green brings the second tale of Tobin, who is happily watching a Bond marathon with his best friends The Duke and JP while his parents are stuck in Boston with the snowstorm, when his other friend Keun calls from his night shift at Waffle House demanding they come immediately with a Twister board–for THERE ARE CHEERLEADERS here! Tobin and JP are instantly convinced it is a brilliant idea to go out in the storm for the sake of cheerleaders…the “Duke” however, their lone female friend, is less than enthusiastic…though she is convinced with the promise of Waffle House hash browns. The three friends face one crazy obstacle after another on their quest for the Waffle House, but as they near their destination, Tobin becomes uncomfortably aware that he is less and less interested in cheerleaders and more and more distracted by an unlikely source.

The third story comes from Lauren Myracle and involves the romance, or rather break up, of Addie and Jeb. Addie and Jeb have been dating for the last year, until a week before Christmas, when Addie makes a choice that may have destroyed their relationship forever. Addie is mired in her own misery and begins to feel worse as her friends help her see that it may not be Jeb who needs to change. Is it too late for Addie to start fresh and win Jeb back?

All in all, a cute collection of holiday romance, nothing too deep, but fun to kick back with on a weekend…especially if it ever gets cold enough for snow!