What I knew about Drowning Instinct before reading it: Nothing. I loved the cover. I occasionally talk to Ilsa Bick on Twitter about challah and rugelach. I might have read a synopsis at one point, but by the time I read the book, I’d forgotten what it said. What you should know about Drowning Instinct [...]

Tags: family problems, high schools, mental illness, psychological fiction, secrets, self-injury, sports, teachers
Filed under: Book Review

After a terrifying audition, Sara wins a scholarship to the Jersey Ballet for a year. Though it’s not the most prestigious of the ballet schools, it’s certainly a step up for a dancer from a tiny school in Vermont. Sara moves away from her family and friends to live with one of the school’s teachers, [...]

Tags: dance, eating disorders, high schools, self-perception, sex
Filed under: Book Review

Frustrated with the rivalry between her high school’s soccer and football teams, Lissa organizes the athletes’ girlfriends together in a sex strike. The strike, though, becomes more than a means to an end, as both the guys and girls learn about themselves and their relationships. As with her previous novel, The Duff, Kody Keplinger brings [...]

Tags: dating, feminism, high schools, retelling, sex
Filed under: Book Review

Mari (short for Marisol) achieves her dream of getting into the dance program at Premiere High School, a special school for performing arts, but quickly discovers that she won’t be able to rest on her laurels. It will take a lot of hard work to stay at Premiere, and even more work to win a [...]

Tags: acting, competition, dance, gangs, high schools, identity, race, sports
Filed under: Book Review

Following up Hate List, a book that explores how people heal in the aftermath of a school shooting, Jennifer Brown tackles another tough subject in Bitter End. Alex’s mom died when she was young; her dad dismisses her mom as crazy and doesn’t bring the topic up much. He doesn’t bring up much of anything [...]

Tags: dating, domestic abuse, family problems, friendship, grief, high schools
Filed under: Book Review