Rachel's Tears

This was the true story of Rachel Scott who was gunned down in Columbine. It was her memoir written by her parents. It talked about how she lived her life and the reactions after her death. She lived her life for God whole-heartedly. She loved people. She would be that person that would talk to you if you had a disability or sat by yourself in the lunch room. She reached out to all people spreading her love for God. She was a very kind, compassionate soul. And ultimately she died for her faith. She was on the killer's target list. She was shot once in the torso, 2x in the leg, and once in the head. A friend that she was eating with at the time said that the killers asked her if she believed in God. Her response was you know I do. Then go be with him. Then she was shot in the head. She was the first person killed in the disaster. Most of the people that died that day were people who were Christians. After, her death a lot of people came forward and told her parents these incredible stories about how she impacted them and how much they were going to miss her. It also talked about what her parents went through on the day of the incident, the days after, and a year later. It had exerts from her journals and her struggles she had with her faith. Now her parents go around and tell people about her story and how to change the world. She believed that 1 small act of kindness and compassion could spark a chain reaction changing the world.
         I really enjoyed this book. It was very sad but it told an incredible story of a girl who changed the world. She is a great role model to look up too. I want to live how she lived for God. Have that kind of relationship where I am relying on Him completely and making a real difference in the world.

 

Being Jazz My Life as a Transgender Teen

This was a very good book. I learned a lot about what transgender people go through. It was very interesting. It really gave me a new perspective on things I never really thought about before like using a bathroom. I really enjoyed reading about the struggles Jazz went through from birth to 15 years of age. I also enjoyed learning about the advocacy and the lives she is changing by speaking out about transgender rights. The most important things that she stressed was being yourself and not being as judgemental to transgender people.

Teardrop

This is the first book in the Teardrop Series. Eureka's mom drowned in a freak accident. Now Eureka must adjust to life without her mom who left many secrets behind. She always told Eureka never to cry and she never has. She meets this mysterious boy Ander who keeps reappearing out of the blue warning her to be careful because she is in danger. She has to put up with counseling sessions that her dad's new wife requires for her to attend. She hangs out with her friends Cat and Brooks. Brooks starts acting strange and she doesn't even notice until he disappears while on a boating trip with her and the twins. She is completely confused when she receives the inheritance from her mom's estate. She gets a book in a different language, a thunderstone, and the locket that her mom wore every day. She takes the book to psychic who can translate it for her. She finds out that the book is a love story that took place in Atlantis before the island disappeared forever into the ocean.
       She is also mysteriously attacked by these strange people. Ander tells her he must escape. Eureka finds out that she is a descendant of the Atlanteans. She has the gift of  Selene's Tearline. She has the power to cry up a flood powerful enough to raise Atlantis from the bottom of the ocean. This could be dangerous and the Seedbearers want to destroy anyone with the gift so this never happens. Ander finally tells her that he was supposed to kill her in the accident not save her. He is a seedbearer. He has watched her forever and fell in love with her. Now he will do anything to save her. She is again attacked by the seedbearer's only this time she cries and creates the flood. Now she wishes to rescue Brooks.
        I love Lauren Kate. She always writes about forbidden love in the supernatural. I knew I was going to like this because I love the Fallen Series. I couldn't put this book down the whole time I read it which I like a lot.

Her Holiday Prince Charming

Rory loses her job and her friend offers her a job fixing up a store as income and a place to live. She meets Erik, whose grandparents owned the store, to help her with the handy man stuff. She wants to give her son Tyler a good Christmas. Erik and Rory can't deny the growing attraction to each other. Erik is cautious because Rory awaken feelings he'd rather let lie. But he eventually comes to realize he can't live without her.

    This book was ok but I found it confusing because I couldn't keep the characters straight. Plus Rory is a guy name and I kept thinking it was a man. So I couldn't fully enjoy it.

Safe Haven

Katie runs away from her abuse husband and ends up in North Carolina. She starts a new life for herself by getting a job, renting a small cottage, and blending in. she meets Alex, a single dad with two kids. The romance develops slowly at first because she visits his store every week to buy groceries. On a whim one day she is invited to go to the beach with his family. Then the actively start seeing each other and also the encouragement of her friend Jo. Katie starts to feel happy but is still scared and haunted by thinking that her husband will find her. In the meantime up in Boston her husband is actively and desperately tying to find her. This reminded me of the Longest Ride and I enjoyed when Sparks flashed back to what happened in the relationship, how she got away, and inside the mind of her husband. Her husband eventually tracks her down and sets Alex's store and house on fire. She rescues the kids and tells them to run as she fights off her husband. After Alex rescues her she shoots her husband in the stomach and he dies. They then live happily ever after and she is finally safe.

     This was the most horrific Sparks I have ever read but I really enjoyed it. It amazes me how he always makes one of his characters a psycho. I mean lighting a house and store on fire with his wife and two kids inside really? Also how the husband wanted to find her so bad so he could love her and beat her. This book inspired me to know that people can get out of bad situations and get into a better one. We all want someone to be our Safe Haven, someone to trust completely with our hearts that won't hurt us. I loved the movie but they changed some things which I actually kinda liked better.