I love reading, and I've loved reading for as long as I can remember. When I was about three years old, I used to stack piles and piles of books around me in a circle and "read" them to myself. Even though I couldn't really read yet, books were, and still are, a constant in my life. Reading is an escape from reality and a way to relax and enjoy being a part of a different world for awhile.
So here is a list of a few of my favorites, in no specific order:
1. "Skinny" by Ibi Kaslik
This novel paints the picture of two sisters, each narrating every other chapter. The older sister, Giselle, is battling anorexia, as Holly, her younger sister deals with watching her sister deteriorate and copes with the effects this disease has on their family.
2. "Flowers in the Attic" Series (The Dollanganger Series) by V.C. Andrews
I have read the first and second books to this series and I can definitely say I will be reading the rest. V.C. Andrews delves into the depths of this family's twisted past and present with the first book told through first person point of view of Cathy, 12-year-old daughter of the Dollanganger family. After the death of their father, the Dollanganger children are forced to live hidden away in the attic of their cruel grandmother's house. As the years go on so does the trauma and anguish.
3. The "Crank" Trilogy by Ellen Hopkins
"Crank," loosely based on Hopkins' own daughter's meth addiction, follows Kristina, a junior in high school who becomes addicted to crystal meth and follows her life as she spirals out of control. When she ends up pregnant, the first novel ends with her still using and the next picks up with the continuation of her life and her worsening addiction. All three novels show the sad, painful truth of addiction.
4. "A Child Called 'It'" by Dave Pelzer
Dave Pelzer's memoir of his childhood illustrates the horrible physical and emotional abuse his mother placed on him from the age of four years old until he was about 12. His strength and hope to survive is touching throughout all of the terrible things he faced growing up. After this novel, he went on to write "The Lost Boy," about his experiences in the foster care system.
5. "Looking for Alaska" by John Green (or really any book by John Green)
I have loved every book I've read by John Green, but this one stood out possibly the most. It focuses on Miles Carter, a junior in high school who decides to go to a boarding school in search of something better for his life, "a Great Perhaps." The novel is split into two sections: Before and After. The story details Miles' relationship with a fascinating girl named Alaska who becomes quite the mystery to solve. *SPOILER* After her death, Miles must come to terms with never really knowing the truth about how she died and make peace with his own life.
