Monday 14 December 2009

I Recommend that ... Tearjerkers

This post is inspired by the fantastic posts on Chicklish recommending books for gifts/presents to buy. You can check them out here

I couldn't decide what to call this one - I was going to do it as realistic fiction but I wasn't sure 'If I Stay' would qualify so I called it Tearjerkers for the simple reason they all made me cry! So, in this category I would recommend...

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
From Goodreads: In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeenyear- old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...
A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.


This just blew me away! I recommend this one to everyone:) You can read my review here.

Before I Die by Jenny Downham
From Goodreads: Tessa has just months to live. Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, drugs with excruciating side-effects, Tessa compiles a list. It’s her To Do Before I Die list. And number one is Sex. Released from the constraints of ‘normal’ life, Tessa tastes new experiences to make her feel alive while her failing body struggles to keep up. Tessa’s feelings, her relationships with her father and brother, her estranged mother, her best friend, and her new boyfriend, all are painfully crystallised in the precious weeks before Tessa’s time finally runs out.

This one definitely made me cry - I pretty much sobbed my way through the second half! I loved how it is written and it really feels as if you are in Tessa's head experiencing everything with her.

Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers
From Goodreads: What's the worst thing you've ever done? When "Perfect" Parker Fadley starts drinking at school and failing her classes, all of St. Peter's High goes on alert. How has the cheerleading captain, girlfriend of the most popular guy in school, consummate teacher's pet, and future valedictorian fallen so far from grace? Parker doesn't want to talk about it. She'd just like to be left alone, to disappear, to be ignored. But her parents have placed her on suicide watch and her counselors are demanding the truth. Worse, there's a nice guy falling in love with her and he's making her feel things again when she'd really rather not be feeling anything at all. Nobody would have guessed she'd turn out like this. But nobody knows the truth. Something horrible has happened, and it just might be her fault.

I love this one. I was surprised at how clever this was - the small snippets of what had happened and the final revelation. You can read my review here.

Always & Forever by Lurlene McDaniel (US Publication)
From Goodreads: 16-year-old Melissa Austin has always worked hard to get what she wants. As the school year begins, her work is paying off: Her grades are up and she’s landed a coveted spot on the Brain Bowl team. She and her best friend, Jory Delaney, are determined to have the best junior year ever.Then Melissa receives devastating news about her health. At first she refuses to accept the doctor’s diagnosis, but as her illness gets worse, she cannot deny the truth. Only with the loving support of her family, and especially Jory, can Melissa come to terms with the mysteries of living . . . and dying.

I read this when I was a teenager and fell in love with it. I had been trying to track it down for ages when I finally found this release. I haven't re-read it yet but I am hoping it will live up to the memory of it.

Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
From Amazon: Davey's father was murdered when a break-in at his store went horribly wrong. Now, Davey, her mother and her little brother are left shattered, with no idea how to go about rebuilding their lives. The family flees to New Mexico, to escape the painful memories. In this alien place, with its arid landscape and sunbaked earth, Davey meets Wolf, a mysterious boy who understands her without asking questions. Slowly she begins to piece the broken fragments of herself together again.

One of my favourite stories ever. I absolutely adore Judy Blume. You can read my review here.

Hate list by Jennifer Brown
From Goodreads: Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets. Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

This is such a powerful and raw book - I loved it. You can read my review here.

Hold still by Nina LaCour
From Goodreads:
dear caitlin, there are so many things that i want so badly to tell you but i just can’t.
Devastating, hopeful, hopeless, playful . . . in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin. Now Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by choice, struggling to find renewed hope in the wake of her best friend’s suicide. With the help of family and newfound friends, Caitlin will encounter first love, broaden her horizons, and start to realize that true friendship didn’t die with Ingrid. And the journal which once seemed only to chronicle Ingrid’s descent into depression, becomes the tool by which Caitlin once again reaches out to all those who loved Ingrid—and Caitlin herself.


This is one of my favourite reads in 2009. You can read my review here.

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
From Goodreads: "Don't worry, Anna. I'll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it." "Okay." "Promise me? Promise you won't say anything?" "Don't worry." I laughed. "It's our secret, right?" According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy ever day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie---she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago. Beautifully written and emotionally honest, this is a debut novel that explores what it truly means to love someone and what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer.

I thought this was beautifully written - I didn't want it to end! You can read my review here.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

If I Stay is one I have read about, and I have HIGH on my To buy list - it sounds amazing - breathtaking even!

Twenty Boy Summer sounds neat I have yet to read or hear about that one, off to add it to my list! :)

StephTheBookworm said...

Great list! Thanks for the recommendations.

Luisa at Chicklish said...

Oh wow, I remember Tiger Eyes! I loved it. Wonderful selection of books. This is a great series of posts - thank you!

Anonymous said...

I've read almost all of these and I agree, they're great books. Before I Die was such a tearjerker. :( I also cried a little with If I Stay & Twenty Boy Summer.

So Many Books, So Little Time said...

I've read If I Stay, Before I Die, Twenty Boy Summer and Cracked up to Be and the only one that didn't make me cry was Cracked Up to Be. Great selection!

Tales of Whimsy said...

I could get misty from just the book blurbs.

Unknown said...

Tearjerkers aren't really for me right now but I'm still loving these posts

Justine said...

I've read some of these, and I'd have to say that I agree with you! What I'm really looking forward to reading is Before I Die. That seems like a definite tearjerker and I feel like reading one right now, actually :P

prophecygirl said...

If I Stay made me cry my eyes out. Such a powerful book.

Still, I've never cried as much as when I read The Book Thief!

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