Smoke by Ellen Hopkins

http://bit.ly/1cSsjp6

     This book is the sequel to Burned, which is the book from my last post. I won't really be able to say much because I would give away a lot if I did, but I'll say the basics of what happens.

     In this book Pattyn is living in California as a maid for some strangers. The only person she knows is a guy named Angel. The family she lives with is a family of four. There's the mister and missus and their daughters Sophie and Dierdre. Sophie is 3 years old and emotionally neglected, and Dierdre is in her late teens and hangs out with troublesome people. She is hostile, threatening and an anarchist in the making.

     Pattyn is stressed about the questionable research she finds on Dierdre's computer and finds solace in the one person she can trust, Angel. She tells him about her worries and he gives her advice, which is to keep quiet. But that results in the death of Angel's friend, and the near death experience for Angel himself.

     But that's not all. This book switched off between Pattyn and her younger sister Jackie. Jackie is faced with heartbreaking gut-wrenching pain, too. She get involved with a boy named Caleb McCain. All she wanted was a kiss and to be loved, but that's not what he had in mind. After her painful experience with Caleb her mother forces her not to speak about what transpired between them. Not only that, but her mother also invites Caleb and his father over for dinner, and speaks highly of Caleb until Jackie simply cannot take it anymore.

     But the good thing is that Jackie finds comfort from her tutor Gavin. He cares about her and wants the best for her. He tries to help her the best he can and soon they fall in love. But Jackie has a secret, and it is  a terrible secret that would break them apart. She can't tell him the truth but she knows it breaks his heart that she doesn't trust him enough to tell him. 

     Will the Von Stratten girls find true love? True happiness? Well there's only one way to find out, you'll have to read the books yourself, which I highly recommend. They are heartbreaking yet wonderful. It will leave you wanting more.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

http://bit.ly/1cBUixg

     I had to read this book for English, and normally I don't really like the books I have to read for class, but this one wasn't too bad. It takes a while to really get into it but when I did I really liked it. It's probably one of the saddest books I've ever read.

     The main character is a boy named Amir. Amir lives in Afghanistan with his father who he calls Baba. They are pretty well off, they live in a big house and have two Hazara servants who are father and son. Their names are Ali and Hassan.

     Amir and his father are Pashtun and normally the Pashtun don't get along with the Hazaras because they follow different types of Muslim religion. But Baba and Ali have been friends for 40 years. Amir and Hassan get along quite well, but because Hassan is a Hazara Amir doesn't think of him as a friend.

     Amir and Hassan differ greatly in character. Amir is unable to stand up for himself and is unnecessarily rude to Hassan. Amir lies and is often jealous of Hassan because Baba never forgets his birthday, and always tries to include him in the things he and Amir do together. Hassan on the other hand is always honest, and always fights off bullies for Amir. Even when Amir is rude to him, he doesn't fight back, but rather encourages him in hopes that whatever anger has come over him will pass.

     Every winter there is a kite fight. A kite fight is an event where dozens of people get together with kites and try to cut down other kites and the winner is the last one standing. The book is called The Kite Runner because when a kite gets cut down people try to catch them because they are considered trophies and the ultimate trophy is the last one cut down.

     Hassan is an amazing kite runner and in 1975 they won the kite fight. Hassan got the last cut down kite, but something happens that changes Amir and Hassan's relationship forever.

*SPOILER ALERT*

If you haven't read the book skip over this next paragraph.

     The thing that changes their relationship is that while Hassan was getting the kite the same bullies that he had fought off before chase after him trying to take the kite from him. Amir is looking for him and when he finds him the scene he sees is a gory sight. Hassan is cornered by the 3 bullies, Assef, Wali, and Kamal in an alley and they are trying to take the kite from him, but Hassan being the honourable person her is, refuses to give it to them. Assef then says that it's fine he can keep it as a reminder of what he's about to do to him. He then proceeds to rape Hassan. Amir has seen the whole thing and being the coward he is, he doesn't stop them, he doesn't help Hassan. He doesn't want to risk losing his prize kite. And after Assef and his friends leave Amir finds Hassan and wonders if he knows that Amir knows what happened. later on it is evident that he did.

*SPOILER ALERT*

     After the kite fight in 1975, Amir and Hassan's friendship was never the same. Amir tried his best to avoid Hassan, but he was persistent in having their friendship be the way it was before. Amir never gave in though.
     He eventually did something that he thought would make his father kick Ali and Hassan to the curb, but that wasn't the case. Instead they resigned, and left the house the very same day. After that Amir never saw Hassan again.
     Amir and Baba moved to San Francisco when Amir was 18. They moved to a small apartment building. Baba worked at a gas station and Amir was in school to become a writer. they made some extra money by buying things at garage sales and reselling them at a market. There Amir met his future wife.
     Near the end Amir returns to Pakistan because a family friend named Rahim Khan calls him and asks him to come see him. The end has a shocking twist that I won't give away. This book teaches repentance and atonement, and most of all the crushing effects of guilt.

Burned by Ellen Hopkins

http://bit.ly/1dxNvlr

     This is another book by Ellen Hopkins. It may seem repetitive but her books are each very unique and different from anything else I've read.

     The main character in this book is Pattyn Scarlet Von Stratten. She lives in a Mormon family of 9. She sees her mother as a baby-making machine, and her father as an abusive alcoholic. Her mother keeps having babies because after 7 girls her father is still hoping for a boy.

     Pattyn is generally a good Mormon girl, but she has not good dreams about an attractive boy named Justin at her school. She knows she shouldn't think about boys, least of all Justin because he isn't a Mormon.

     One day, when Pattyn is out on the desert doing some target practice Justin, and few of his friends happen to be 4 wheeling and notice her.

     Justin is with his girlfriend but he takes interest in shooting targets, while his friend Derek begins to take interest in Pattyn. They eventually start dating, but her dad soon finds out and forbids her to see him.

     Pattyn thinks that they can find a way to be together anyway, but Derek disagrees and breaks up with her. Derek was Pattyn's first boyfriend, and she overreacted when he broke up with her.

     After that, her life only goes downhill until eventually she gets suspended from school for the last month before summer.

     After a cruel outburst towards her mother Pattyn is sent off to live with her Aunt Jeanette in Nevada for the summer. Her father tells her the there's no way she can get into trouble out there, but she finds a way.

     Soon after she moves in, she meets a college student named Ethan. They start to see more and more of each other and eventually fall in love.

     Sounds like a classic love story ending doesn't it? Well that is not the case. After a tragic car accident Pattyn's life will never be the same. The ending of this book will leave you wanting more with the sequel Smoke.

Identical by Ellen Hopkins

http://bit.ly/1djrBVn

     From my experience with Ellen Hopkins's books, they are very dark and they all bring mental illness into it. Her books are written in verse rather than prose.
     This book is about the mental struggles, inevitable self-destruction of twin girls Kaeleigh and Raeanne. On the outside, their family is picture perfect. Their mother is a politician, and their father is a district court judge. They are living the dream, or so it seems. In reality, their mother is emotionally and physically absent, and their father is an abusive alcoholic. Both girls do well in school, but they also both seek their own form of escape. Raeanne retreats towards sex and drugs, and Kaeleigh binges and cuts herself.
     It is revealed in brief confessions that there is history of sexual and emotional abuse. This book is horrifying and shocking. It will make you almost not want to read but also hard to put down.
     The twisted ending will appall and amaze you. I recommend reading this book, even if it's not the type of book you read or even if you don't like reading you will like this one.