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Liner Notes by Emily Franklin
By Allie Costa
Laney gets a new job after graduate school and plans on driving cross-country by herself, listening to her old mix tapes and enjoying the solitude. Her mother surprises Laney by asking if she can along for the ride. Her lymphoma cau-sed her to miss out on a great deal of her daughter's life, and now in remission, she wants to reconnect with her eldest child. Every tape Laney plays has a story to tell, be it from summer camp or college, and each tape is filled with golden oldies, music from her childhood, and modern tunes as well.
This book is a rare one - the gimmick is actually well-executed, making this story as good as it sounds. With realistic characters, fantastic flashbacks, and a great soundtrack, you are sure to laugh, cry and sing along with Laney as you read her Liner Notes.
Play Me by Laura Ruby
By Allie Costa
In this day and age, it seems as though almost everyone is uploading their movies to YouTube - even fictional characters. Eddy, along with his two best friends, all aspiring filmmakers, and a feisty actress, create an online series which is entered in a big-time television contest. Eddy's always been serious about his movies, but not so serious about love.
That is, until Lucinda comes back into his life. They "dated" at camp when they were younger, but now, as high schoolers, things are different. Eddy has a reputation as a serial dater; Lucinda's a hard-core tennis player. This relationship might change Eddy's mind about dating, and about girls, and his filmmaking might lead him back to his absentee mom, an actress who left her family years ago to pursue her own career.
Though this book is not a direct sequel to Ruby's previous teen novel, Good Girls, it does take place in the same universe and mentions Audrey as the ex-girlfriend of one of Eddy's friends.
An Egg on Three Sticks by Jackie Fischer
By Allie Costa
An Egg on Three Sticks is a both a family story and a coming-of-age story. Set in the 1970s, the breakdown of a mother and the subsequent changes within a nuclear family are related to the reader in young Abby's unique voice. Her thoughts are what keep the book flowing so easily, using slang of the time period as well as the vocabulary and ideas of a young woman struggling to understand what is going on in her house.
No matter what era you grew up in, your heart will go out to Abby and her younger sister Lisa. Pick this book up and remember your own shaky transition from childhood to adulthood.